The end of Vettel’s Ferrari mission
“The mission is still there and the target is still there to achieve the mission – to win with Ferrari.”
Sebastian Vettel spoke those words only nine months ago, during the aborted Australian Grand Prix weekend. At the time, just before the COVID-19 pandemic brought Formula 1 and the world to a standstill, it looked near certain that he would be re-signed to a fresh Ferrari deal and continue striving to achieve his dream: winning in red, just like his childhood hero, Michael Schumacher.
But eight weeks later, Vettel’s Ferrari exit was announced, and Carlos Sainz Jr revealed as his replacement. The dream was to end, the mission in mortal peril.
This time 12 months ago, Ferrari signed Charles Leclerc to a long-term contract, sealing his place at the team until the end of 2024. His star had risen tremendously since he replaced Kimi Raikkonen at the start of 2019, his heartbreaking near-miss in Bahrain and victories at Spa and on Ferrari’s home patch at Monza quickly kickstarting his tale at Maranello. Leclerc’s rise brought him level with Vettel and conflict was coming, culminating in that crash between the pair in Brazil.
But despite that, ahead of the expected start of the 2020 season, when observers were eagerly awaiting the next intra-Ferrari eruption, team boss Mattia Binotto was still
