Sebastian Vettel faces Ferrari wall

After six seasons in the red jersey, with another still to come, Sebastian Vettel and Ferrari have announced the end of their partnership. We look back on a union that once promised great things, but which may ultimately be remembered as a failure.

In the 1970s, Elton John sang “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.” If his lyricist Bernie Taupin had been a Formula 1 fan, he might have recently written “Goodbye Red Brick Road” in reference to Sebastian Vettel, who will leave Scuderia Ferrari at the end of the 2020 season.

The four-time German world champion has finally reached the end of his journey at Ferrari, unable to break through the barrier separating him from a title with the Italian team. ## Vettel and Alonso, same struggle His career at Ferrari mirrors that of his predecessor, Fernando Alonso. The Spaniard arrived in 2010 with two championship titles (2005, 2006) and the hope of reviving an aging team that had just been saved by Kimi Raikkonen's opportunistic title, a consequence of internal struggles at McLaren between Lewis Hamilton and Alonso himself.

However, the two drivers could not have been more different. Alonso's fiery temperament led him to shout and swear at every setback, while “Baby Schumi” favored a pragmatic approach, putting the team first, much like his famous mentor from whom he got his nickname. In the end, the two men are likely to share a similar record: more than a hundred Grand Prix starts in red, but no championships to their credit. Their talent is not in question: their combined six world titles speak for themselves. So what went wrong? Alonso's years at Ferrari could fill a book on their own. Here we focus on the factors that may have doomed Vettel's hopes at Ferrari (he still has one season left in red), a topic that is making headlines today. ## The turning point of the 2018 German Grand Prix

Let's go back to the early years, from 2015 to 2017, which were marked by a difficult adjustment period for the German. Even Michael Schumacher needed five seasons in red before winning his first title, and his journey was fraught with pitfalls (the incident with Villeneuve in 1997, his injury in 1999, etc.).

The real turning point in the partnership between Vettel and Ferrari came at the 2018 German Grand Prix. Until then, Vettel's season had been almost perfect. He had stood up to Mercedes, which seemed invincible, despite a car that was more difficult to drive than the previous year, and had arrived at his home Grand Prix as the favorite. Starting from pole position and setting the pace from the start, he was caught out by a sudden downpour in the stadium section, the part of the circuit packed with spectators, and lost control. Visibly angry and embarrassed, Vettel publicly expressed his disappointment. What followed was a long and painful period that could have seen him win the title, but turned into a series of costly mistakes, repeated in 2019, while his young teammate Charles Leclerc began to dominate. The rift with Ferrari began on July 22, 2018, and culminated two years later with the German's departure. ## Pressure and instability The psychological weight of wearing the Ferrari badge ultimately paralyzed Vettel's undeniable talent. For the Scuderia, victory is non-negotiable and must come quickly. Mistakes are not tolerated for long by the tifosi or the Italian press, whose scrutiny adds constant pressure to the entire operation. The turnover of team principals during Vettel's tenure is clear evidence of this tension. Ironically, Ferrari's recent successes have come during the only period of internal stability the team has enjoyed in years, under the leadership of the trio of Jean Todt, Ross Brawn, and Matt Byrne. This stability suggests that Vettel cannot be held solely responsible for the team's recent failures. Vettel still has one (strange) season left to try to break the curse that has prevented world champions from winning a title with Ferrari for 15 years. This unusual year could give the German a chance to leave the Scuderia with his head held high and with a little less regret.