As soon as it is clear that a certain driver will not renew his contract with his team, the team slams its door in front of him, even if he is a four-time world champion.
This is exactly what Sebastian Vettel is feeling on his skin this year. The German superstar is certainly not used to being pushed into the background in his team as this has happened to him for the first time in his career, but this is Formula 1 and this is Ferrari.
After the race in Sochi, Vettel explained to the media how Ferrari sacrificed him for sake of the sixth place won by Leclerc, as he had to keep both Renault drivers behind him against his will. Ferrari did indeed do so, but the German has apparently forgotten how many times Kimi Raikkonen has done this for him in recent seasons. Surely such cases could be counted on the fingers of both hands.
Vettel apparently also forgot how he won in 2018 Monaco GP, when Ferrari pushed the then leading Raikkonen into traffic with an earlier stop, while he overtook his teammate with an overcut, and celebrated a big win.
This is Formula 1. Raikkonen ate it several times with a visible lump in his throat, which is why only Iceman raced for Ferrari for so many years and became a world champion in a red car. Although he was fired in Maranello in 2009 in a much harsher way, he never publicly criticized his employer.
Of course, it is necessary to understand Vettel’s position and the feeling of helplessness in which he found himself this year, but on the other hand, it is also necessary to know that he is still racing for a team that will pay him a fabulous salary this year as well. At the same time, his dramatization seems a bit exaggerated. As Kimi would say: “It is how it is.
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