The signs that suggest Vettel isn't about to retire

Sebastian Vettel neither sounds like a driver who is about to walk away from Formula 1, he mocked suggestions it was his last race after finishing fifth in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, nor looks like one.

We can't be sure what's going on in the depths of his mind - and he could yet surprise us - but, while his 2019 campaign was disappointing and at times blundersome, it wasn't that of a driver who's lost the determination and desire to be in F1.

The theory is that a combination of team-mate Charles Leclerc's success and desire to have things all his own way within Ferrari, his own struggles and the attraction of life away from the demands of F1 now he's had his third child means Vettel will turn his attention to other things.

But despite what's been a difficult 18 months of mishaps, misadventure and controversy, he's proved that, at 32, he's still got plenty of gas in the tank (although presumably no more than has been declared to the FIA).

This isn't because there's any great hidden story in his performances. Some grasp for excuses and reasons why Leclerc has been flattered in comparison, but there is no doubt who's been the stronger Ferrari driver this season.

On average, adjusted to include only fair comparisons, Leclerc was 0.129 seconds quicker than Vettel. He also outscored Vettel in the championship, albeit by only 24 points - although Vettel was ahead of Leclerc at the finish of 10 of the 17 races where they were both classified.

While Leclerc has made the errors you'd expect of a second-year driver, Vettel's regular, costly errors are unforgivable. He looks more like the unpolished sophomore.

During the third quarter of the season, it seemed Vettel really was a spent force.

Leclerc was on a run of nine consecutive races outqualifying Vettel - albeit with Hockenheim, where Vettel suffered a failure in Q1, included in that number. The nominally junior Ferrari driver was doing the winning, breaking through with back-to-back triumphs at Spa and Monza, and the dream of Vettel and Ferrari ever fulfilling what once seemed to be their destiny of winning the title together seemed dashed.

The problem is one of red mist - Vettel is an emotional character

Since then, things have changed a little. While not enough to make a convincing case that Vettel can reassert himself over Leclerc and be the driver to end Ferrari's drought, what has happened does show beyond doubt that he can still dig deep and bring out his best.

That was something that, just a few months ago, seemed uncertain.

Improvements to the Ferrari, starting in Singapore, where Vettel took his one and only win of the season thanks to undercutting his way ahead of Leclerc in a strategic accident, have helped him fight back.

A stronger front end has helped, although the rear end isn't always as stable and predictable as he would like - as exemplified by the car's performance in the twistier sections of Yas Marina.

But what matters is that there have been brighter moments.

Vettel's pace in the race at Sochi - which was strong despite the controversy over whether he should or should not have let Leclerc past as a result of a first-corner agreement - his storming Suzuka pole position lap and outpacing Leclerc in three of the past five qualifying sessions show he has picked himself up.

That answers one question - whether Vettel has it within him to keep going through the extraordinary physical and mental effort it requires to operate at this level.

He wasn't so much on the back foot before as on the floor, but has recovered and got back in the game. It's extremely unlikely he could do that were he on the brink of walking away.

So, what now? Vettel has one year left on his Ferrari contract. If we take him at his word that he will continue next year, he has got some work to do to convince Ferrari he's worth keeping.

This year has not been good enough, and he has not been worth the money spent or the hassle caused - particularly given that he triggered the Interlagos collision with Leclerc. Publicly, team principal Mattia Binotto has apportioned no blame, although there were some very frank discussions within the squad that pointed the finger more towards the guilty party.

But for Vettel to deliver at the level required next year, and deliver on his objective of reasserting himself over Leclerc, the conditions that created that situation need to be avoided.

The problem is one of red mist. Vettel is an emotional character and it's been clear for some time that Ferrari has not worked out how to get this under control. This was something Red Bull mastered during Vettel's pomp.

If you consider the nature of some of the errors this year, the conditions that create them are clear.

The greatest drivers make good decisions under intense stress, but here Vettel is flawed

The Interlagos clash followed seconds after Leclerc pulled a surprise move into Turn 1. That led to Vettel, shrouded in the red mist, to lose a degree of control in his determination to get back past. It was not a deliberate attempt to cause a clash.

The same thing happened at Monza, when Vettel spun at Ascari. Intellectually, he knew it was early in the race and he was running well up the order, so there was bound to be someone coming, but his desperation to compensate for an agonising mistake led to a bad misjudgement.

The greatest drivers make good decisions under intense stress, but this is an area where Vettel is flawed.

If you can instil that calmness into Vettel, then you'll get the best out of him. Add to that a car that gives him the characteristics he wants and he's capable of being stunningly quick - especially when out front.

But it's not just Ferrari that needs to get him under control. It's also down to Vettel to conquer his own weaknesses. He must look deeply within himself to understand how these mistakes happen, accept they have been too frequent to be solely down to bad luck, and conquer his demons.

His public response to criticism suggests this isn't a strong point, but you don't win four world championships without having that ability to look inward and fix your problems.

That this has grown to be such a problem could simply be because Vettel and Ferrari are not a good fit. That's something he needs to understand if he's to make the changes to get the best out of himself. And that doesn't mean he needs, as some argue, to get everything his own way.

Vettel is not a ruthless or petulant character off track, and the view many have formed of him based on his on-track conduct - often, remember, under intense stress - is misguided.

He's popular with those he works with, a relatively ordinary man with what might be termed traditional values (in the positive, rather than regressive, sense) and keen to keep a low profile. Perhaps in that regard he's just a little too normal and doesn't inhabit the psychological extremes needed to be a truly exceptional athlete.

Yet, at times, he's stunningly good. When in the right window, at one with the car, he can deliver great things.

The disappointing thing is that, for all his brilliance, he's seemingly not capable of holding himself in that window across a broad enough range of situations. The very best can deliver at or close to their best even in circumstances that aren't ideal, but that appears to elude Vettel.

Realistically, it's difficult to see Vettel putting Leclerc back in a box and making Ferrari into 'his' team again, and he might well not live up to Ferrari's needs next year - in which case he won't get a new deal.

But no matter what doubts you have about him as a driver - for while there are clear limitations that mean he falls short of Hamilton's level, you cannot argue he's not shown brilliance at times - don't make the mistake of thinking he's given up.

The fire still burns. He's trying to find a way to hit back and make the Ferrari dream happen for him.

He might not be able to do it. But he wants it, with the determination of a champion.