F1: SEB AIMS TO RULE WORLD AGAIN
SEBASTIAN Vettel says he has made peace with his final-year Ferrari horror show and believes he can be a Formula One world champion again.
Vettel endured a miserable end to his six campaigns with Ferrari after he was told his contract would not be renewed before he finished 13th in the standings.
But following his transfer to Aston Martin – with the historic British name returning to the F1 grid after more than six decades away – the 33-year-old is ready to move on to the next chapter in his career.
“It is not a secret that last year I wasn’t at my happiest,” he said. “I know it wasn’t to my standards, that I was below myself, but I am very much at peace with it.
“I think I have another world championship in me. It has been in me before and it was a big relief winning the first one and knowing you can do it. Since then, I don’t see why it is not there any more. I am not too old and I still have a long time in me.
“Things are different here than Ferrari because the team is growing. It is not about the fancy looks but the work done behind the scenes and, from what I have seen, the people are very talented.”
Only Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher have won more grands prix than the German’s 53 victories.
Vettel, who won four consecutive titles with Red Bull between 2010 and 2013, added: “I am not interested in what people think, but more about making a point to myself and the team.’’
Aston Martin owner Lawrence Stroll has set his team the lofty target of fighting for world championships. A budget cap has been introduced for the first time in the sport’s history with the hope it will bring the field closer together.