Why Vettel's Ferrari mission isn't over yet

There's a lot to be said for the 2010 Formula 1 season, looking back 10 years later. There were team-mate clashes and team order rows, wet-weather thrillers and high-profile crashes.

But one feature that really stands out, with the smug wisdom of hindsight, was the way the title fight ebbed and flowed across multiple teams - Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull - and drivers - Fernando Alonso, Jenson Button, Lewis Hamilton, Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel. Few seasons since then can boast such an open contest.

The winner, crowned at the final race, which he had started in third place in the standings, was Vettel. At 23-years-and-134-days-old he was, and remains, F1's youngest world champion.

In the nine seasons following his maiden title, Vettel became one of two drivers to define that era. The other is Hamilton, whose five titles in six years have taken him clear of Vettel's four championships, which the German driver picked up in consecutive years between that 2010 breakthrough and the end of 2013, when he set a record for consecutive wins, and tied Michael Schumacher's record of 13 wins in one season.

Both drivers have made career-defining team moves, with Hamilton's switch from McLaren, the team that brought him to F1, to Mercedes coming ahead of the turbo hybrid period that the Silver Arrows have so far dominated. Vettel's own move from the team that made him, Red Bull, took him to Ferrari - a decision that emulated Vettel's hero, Schumacher.

By the time of Vettel's most recent title, he had established himself as the youngest driver to win multiple world championships. But even before he had clinched his first crown, back in that sumptuous 2010 season, Vettel had made his mark on F1 history, as the youngest race winner and podium finisher, the youngest points scorer (which he achieved on debut at the 2007 US Grand Prix with BMW Sauber), the youngest driver to lead an F1 grand prix, and the youngest polesitter.

But in 2020, as F1 waits and hopes for the start of its coronavirus-delayed new season, Vettel only still possesses the last of those (non-title related) accomplishments. In 2010, he was the up-and-coming hotshot taking on the established favourites in Alonso and Hamilton, as well as the reliable Webber and Button. Now, there's a new crop of young superstars ready to take centre stage.

"Things have changed a little bit, which doesn't mean that my passion has shrunk, not at all, but, for sure, you are able to see more" Sebastian Vettel

Max Verstappen has taken Vettel's accolades when it comes to F1's youngest race winner, podium finisher, points scorer and race leader, while Charles Leclerc won the Italian Grand Prix at his first attempt as a Ferrari driver - a victory in red that Vettel is still searching for after five attempts (although he did of course famously win at Monza with Toro Rosso in 2008 and did so again with Red Bull in 2011 and 2013). Then there's Carlos Sainz Jr, Esteban Ocon, George Russell, Lando Norris, Alex Albon and Pierre Gasly. F1's latest generation has arrived in force.

Today, Vettel - while still arguably Ferrari's benchmark, in that he's a proven world champion who has made it to the top of the game, whereas Leclerc is still working to reach his peak - is the fourth oldest driver on the grid at 32, behind Kimi Raikkonen (40), Hamilton (35) and Romain Grosjean (33). That's by no means a disparagement - these are Vettel's golden years. And the career longevity enjoyed by many drivers in motorsport shows that there is still potentially much success to be had at this stage of his journey.

What's different is that Vettel and the rest of his generation are now the reference - the targets to be hunted, not the disruptors coming with a surge of momentum from the lower formulas.

Vettel's place in F1, and his thoughts on what drives him now, were among the subjects the Ferrari driver discussed with Motorsport.com's Roberto Chinchero at last month's aborted Australian Grand Prix.

When asked if his reference had changed after winning his first title, Vettel replies: "When you are 15 and go karting, your perspective is very different to when you are 30. So, that is something that life teaches us.

"Some people learn it sooner, some later, some never. But that might also not be a bad thing. Don't get me wrong, I think it depends who you are, what kind of person you are, what is important to you and so on.

"But, for sure, it would be ignorant to think that Formula 1 is the centre of the universe and the world, and everything is turning around F1. I think having three kids and [being] a certain age, I think I am old enough to understand, and this is not the case.

"Having said that, for sure, this is my passion, so this is a big part of my life, it plays a very central role.

"It's just something that life does to you. It's the experience you gather and so on. So, you know, it's also fair to say that 15 years or 10 years ago for me there was nothing but racing. Everything was centred around this. Now, as I said, things have changed a little bit, which doesn't mean that my passion has shrunk, not at all, but, for sure, you are able to see more.

"Your horizon grows and you are simply aware of more things going on. So obviously since then, I had 10 years to see the world and travel the world, thanks to my job, and to think about what's going on and what's changing. And then you have certain other interests that are growing as well. You mature, you know?"

Ahead of the start of the 2020 season - whenever that will be in these challenging, uncertain and ever-changing times - Vettel is a veteran of 240 career F1 starts. By the time his first title-winning campaign began he'd already completed 43 races.

Ahead of what should have been his 13th start at Albert Park - a track where he has won three times, for Red Bull and (twice) for Ferrari - Vettel reflected on how he feels approaching an F1 race weekend now he's moved from young upstart to established champion.

"[There are] similarities, but it is different," he explains. "What I mean is, obviously, I was a lot more nervous in a way back then, because I didn't know what was coming. My first race here, I didn't really know the track, so [there were] a lot of question marks.

"But now it's obviously a bit different. You know the track and I mean after 10 years you realise, 'I've done this before'. Obviously this gives you a certain confidence but come qualifying and the race, for sure, I am excited.

"And that is also an important thing. I think if I don't feel that excitement anymore, and the nervousness, than that's when you also don't care anymore.

"Now, on the build-up, I'm probably more relaxed because you have the routine. Coming to the moment when we are all on the grid that's when you realise: now is the time and now it is when it matters. And that's still very exciting."

"I'm in sports, my time is limited. You would be stupid in a way to ignore that, but that doesn't mean that every day I wake up and wonder, 'What will I do in five years?'" Sebastian Vettel

It's not just Vettel that has changed since his first title, F1's nature is different too. As well as the change of overall ownership from CVC and the Bernie Ecclestone regime to Liberty Media and the Chase Carey/Ross Brawn-fronted administration, the cars and the rules have altered.

Vettel made his debut in the V8-powered, downforce-packed, lightweight machines of the late 2000s. He scored his title success in the downforce-stripped, often unsightly, cars of the start of the last decade, which covered the final season of Bridgestone's durable tyres, as well as the degradation-mandated Pirelli rubber that has been used since 2011.

DRS was established during Vettel's championship-winning run, when the first hybrid systems were introduced. The 2014 season, which ended Vettel's title years, brought the massive switch to the V6 turbo powerplants, and then, in 2017, the cars were fundamentally changed again. This time they packed the downforce back on to bring down lap times and made F1 about overall speed.

After all the change, there's one aspect he'd like to be reversed: "I think the cars are phenomenal in terms of downforce, and it's ridiculous how much downforce we have and how fast and how quick the cars are in medium-speed, high-speed corners.

"But in low speed you can feel the weight. That's something - when you throw the car from one side to another in a chicane or hairpin, it's really [noticeable]. The cars are, in my opinion, too heavy.

"I think we could get rid of some of the downforce, we don't need it, but [I'd] rather have the cars lighter. Overall, we would still be the same lap time, probably even faster.

"That's the direction that happened because of the power unit and all the extras that come with it. Obviously some of it is safety measures, which you don't want to go back on. The halo alone is like 10kg.

"You could do it maybe a bit lighter, and still be as strong. But what I'm saying is some stuff probably is fair, that we have the kilos. Other stuff you can debate. But I think remembering these cars, for sure, it was a great feeling to have 600-620kg only. Now the minimum you get to is 750kg."

Vettel's F1 future was the subject of much speculation over the winter, as his current deal with Ferrari is set to run out at the end of this year. He began 2019 as the team's "priority", as team boss Mattia Binotto said ahead of that campaign, but ended up fifth in the drivers' championship - his worst result in red - and behind Leclerc in both wins and poles, and his team-mate ended up one place above him in the standings.

There were some theories that Hamilton, who is also out of contract at Mercedes after 2020, might seek to make another career-defining move to Ferrari. But at the launch of Ferrari's 2020 car, Binotto moved to reinforce Vettel's position to stay alongside Leclerc, who now has a contract with the squad until the end of 2024.

"Seb is our first choice at the moment," said Binotto. "And obviously it's something we are discussing with him and we will continue discussing, but he's certainly our first option, our preference at the moment."

But Leclerc's contract extension indicates that Ferrari does view him as its future - hence the long-term commitment. When Vettel and Binotto addressed the media during an official F1 press conference during the second pre-season test in February, the room was packed - rumours had spread around the paddock that Vettel might be about to announce his retirement. But he did not, saying instead of any contract negotiations: "We are very busy with other stuff and therefore right now I would say zero [in terms of thinking about a new contract] ."

Nevertheless, when it comes to looking forward - not about his current contract situation, but about his place in motorsport and the world further down the line - Vettel acknowledges "this is something, naturally, you start to think about and I have thought about".

"It is also something you start questioning yourself," he continues, "when you are 30 or 32 more than when you are 20. Where are you going to be in 10 years? Because with 20 everything or nothing could be different, with 30 I think, given the fact that I'm in sports, my time is limited.

"So you can see something coming towards you, even if you don't want to. You would be stupid in a way to ignore that, but that doesn't mean that every day I wake up and wonder, 'What will I do in five years?' I'm quite relaxed. I think I'm in a very fortunate position that I can probably try and do a lot of things, once I have decided to stop racing in F1.

"Maybe race something else, maybe do something different in motorsport or do something completely different outside. [A] new challenge. I have some ideas, but I haven't decided. I am still here [in F1], obviously."

"The misison is still there and the target is still there to achieve the mission, to win with Ferrari" Sebastian Vettel

The prospect of Vettel sampling Le Mans and the World Endurance Championship - where Ferrari has a factory presence in the GTE classes - is enticing, as would him cutting ties with the manufacturer and forging his own path in championships such as Formula E or IndyCar.

The latter raises an interesting point - perhaps Vettel will follow Alonso's quest to claim motorsport's triple crown. After all, like Alonso, as an F1 world champion and Monaco GP winner, he qualifies under both interpretations of that accolade...

But while such potential scenarios would excite fans and observers, it seems he isn't going to leave F1 just yet. Indeed, given Binotto's assertions, he may well remain part of the Ferrari grand prix squad for some time yet.

Although he faces increasingly stiff competition from Leclerc - who took just two races to prove he would not accept a supporting role in 2019, with his decisive pass to retake the lead early on in the Bahrain GP he would later heartbreakingly lose - an extension would give Vettel more time to achieve his "mission".

The goal is the same one he set ahead of 2015 and his move to the Scuderia - win the world championship with the Italian squad, as Schumacher eventually did after his move from Benetton for the start of 1996.

There are more than a few similarities between their initial struggles to win the title with Ferrari, but even with the delay to the start of the 2020 season, Mercedes' current dominant form does not seem like stopping anytime soon - Schumacher could easily have won two titles in 1997 and 1998 had just a few things worked out slightly differently.

"Well the mission is still the same, because we are not at the top," Vettel says of his desire to achieve the ultimate success with his current squad.

"Obviously Mercedes has beaten us the last years, so the mission is still [on]. We had a lot of races and we made a lot of experiences - I think there were some great moments. [But] there were some moments that were not so great. But, as I said, the mission is still there and the target is still there to achieve the mission, to win with Ferrari."

"The feeling is that we have done a step forward, but the question we have is whether it's enough," Vettel says of his initial feeling for the SF1000. "Currently we would probably rate it as 'no', as we see Mercedes and Red Bull ahead, but we will have to wait.

In an alternate (and altogether more pleasant) coronavirus-less universe, the 2020 F1 season is already nearly 1/10th completed - with the two rounds in Australia and Bahrain kicking off what should have been a 22-race calendar. But, assuming that reality had winter testing develop exactly the same as it did in the real world, then Ferrari would have gone into those races with the likely third-fastest car.

Indeed, the SF1000's "extreme" design - per Binotto - means it generated more drag in winter testing, and the sense from watching the car trackside was that it gives its drivers a hard time with understeer - something that does not play to Vettel's strengths.

Then there was that settlement with the FIA regarding the Ferrari power unit. All of which added up to the team striking a downbeat chord throughout the tests in Barcelona. If that was some extremely elaborate bluff, it still remains to be seen after the coronavirus crisis stopped world sport in its tracks.

But it therefore appears that if he is to finally achieve his goal and become Ferrari's first world champion since Raikkonen won the 2007 title, Vettel will need his team to turn around a deficit that it insists is there compared to Mercedes and Red Bull, which has not finished second in the constructors' championship since 2016.

It's also worth remembering here that, thanks to the chaos COVID-19 has caused on F1's schedule, the current cars will be used again in 2021, with some parts frozen for development. This is intended to ease the financial burden on the teams when it comes to developing cars to the new regulations now starting in 2022, but it also means any fundamental problems with the current car could be a handicap for longer.

"The feeling is that we have done a step forward, but the question we have is whether it's enough. Currently we would probably rate it as 'no', as we see Mercedes and Red Bull ahead" Sebastian Vettel

"Maybe we get a surprise in a positive way. But no matter what it is, this will be our starting point and then we go from there. The challenge will be to be the team that has the bigger steps in development throughout the season - because given the season will be so long, [with] some races postponed, it will be more and more important.

"You can win [the first] race and dominate, and dominate the next one, but it means nothing if you are not as strong in the last race."

Even if Ferrari can turnaround the SF1000's potential, Leclerc's position as F1's latest rising young superstar to score poles and race wins will arguably make it even more difficult to Vettel to achieve his mission. The tension at Ferrari last year crystalised after Monza, where Vettel said Leclerc had disregarded an instruction to give his team-mate a tow in that shambolic final run in qualifying.

Then there was Vettel benefiting from Ferrari's strategy call in Singapore, which enraged long-time leader Leclerc, and the team orders spat in Russia. The third incident more than likely cost Ferrari the race victory after Vettel's retirement triggered a virtual safety car, which allowed Hamilton to take the lead.

But it was the collision in Brazil that summed things up. Leclerc attacked Vettel, with a bold move at Interlagos's first corner, and then Vettel appeared to have a red-mist moment - attacking his team-mate back again and moving over on him on the subsequent straight, which triggered the clash that put them both out of the race.

F1 fans and the media are very interested in how the next chapter of their rivalry will play out, but Vettel insists "it is not so important, whether I have five points more or less [compared to Leclerc]".

"The important thing is that we are heading in the right direction as a team," he adds. "Obviously last year was a step back, because we were not as strong as the years before. There are reasons, those we need to understand and make sure we eliminate to make progress again. Then five points up or down, for sure in the moment I care, but really what all our target is here, is to make sure that Ferrari comes back to the top."

Unlike Hamilton, Vettel started his career in F1's midfield, with what was then called Toro Rosso. Raikkonen opted to prolong his career in F1 by moving back to the squad where he started his career - Sauber, now Alfa Romeo - after losing his Ferrari drive to Leclerc. Would Vettel consider a similar move?

"I don't know, I really don't know," he offers. "I was in the midfield when I started with Toro Rosso, and at the beginning of Red Bull - which very quickly became a proper winning team. But when I started with Toro Rosso, the first year we were looking for P17-P15. We weren't fighting for much.

"The year after [2008] was amazing, because we were able to fight for more. We were like P12, top 10, top 10 regularly at the end of the year. So, it depends - when you start from there, obviously top 10 means a lot to you, top five is incredible.

"When you spend 10 years in the top five, going back to P15 doesn't feel the same. Whereas if you're P15 for the first time because you have been P18 before that, it's the greatest thing ever. I don't think you can unsee what you have gone through.

"I think if you take Kimi, for example, he's not going for the win now [with Alfa Romeo]. I think he would love to - if he could choose, he would rather love going for the win. But yeah, I think, you can also seek or see pleasure from driving and racing alone."

Schumacher carved himself a unique place in Ferrari's history with his run of five titles at the start of the current century. Vettel desires to do the same, but he has already endured more seasons of disappointment than his compatriot did at the start of his Ferrari career.

However Vettel's career ends, there can be no doubt that he has earned the right to be known as an F1 great

But Vettel remains convinced that his team has what it takes to achieve their shared aim.

"We have a lot of young, great talents in the team - great people with great ideas, creative ideas," he explains. "And that's why, in a way, it's a shame that we haven't - in terms of results - had that breakthrough yet.

"But that's why also the focus is there to keep working, do our thing, because I believe that one day we'll be there."

However Vettel's career ends, there can be no doubt that he has earned the right to be known as an F1 great. The second act of his GP journey so far has certainly been filled with more disappointment than triumph, but it makes for a more compelling story than his run - index finger pointed aloft in joy - of domination with Red Bull.

He is different, naturally more mature than the fresh-faced emerging superstar who rode that succession of bulls to glory. But it doesn't feel as if his tale is at an end just yet.

If he can cut out the errors that have blighted his most recent campaigns, help Ferrari turn things around with the SF1000, and see off Leclerc and the rest of the new wave, as well as finally best the Mercedes/Hamilton alliance, then Vettel will have earned an ending worthy of his initial triumph in 2010 - victorious against all-comers at the last.