After the numerous records and the 4 world championships won, Vettel needed to change the air and run into a new adventure. A definitely risky choice to join the most historic Formula 1 team, but dictated by a dream that has always had. Many have taken him for a madman, but you know, the heart can't be controlled. Sebastian, desired and sought it out his adventure in Red . He proposed to the team and, even before signing the contract, he had already started studying Italian and learning about the history of Enzo Ferrari.
A passion cultivated since childhood to follow in the footsteps of his myth, Michael Schumacher. “Some time ago I told him about the possibility that Domenicali gave me to join Ferrari and he (Michael) told me that if I accepted I would have found a beautiful atmosphere and a great enthusiasm. It seemed like a dream to me ” said Sebastian. So it was. And without too many thoughts, in 2015 he started his first season in Ferrari.
THE FIRST TRIUMPH: FROM DREAM TO REALITY
In the first race of the World Championship, Vettel managed to reach the podium, behind the two Mercedes who had shown an impressive pace. For him, however, real joy came the following race weekend in Sepang. Starting from the second position on the grid, the German managed the race giving the best of himself and making the most of the car. A victory gained in the early stages of the race when, following the Safety Car, Ferrari chose, unlike Mercedes, to remain on the track. Vettel has maintained a clean driving without making mistakes, but with the strength and the will to win. A race that kept the world of Formula 1 glued to the TV, with bated breath for all 56 laps.
The heart was beating a thousand and the head was dazed by the echo of the thousand questions: will it be the right strategy? Why are we staying out? What if the tires start to wear out? But nothing, Sebastian managed to wipe out any doubts and worries, crossing the finish line first and bringing the victory back to Maranello after two years of fasting. On the track we saw a real lion, determined and brave. The same lion that, just a few years earlier in Red Bull made the Ferrari drivers tremble, now made them cheer. In only the second race of the World Cup, he managed to bring the breath of oxygen that all the fans had been asking for too long.
"TU CHIAMALE SE VUOI, EMOZIONI"
The race at Sepang is a moment that all Formula 1 fans will have in their hearts because, admittedly, on March 29, 2015, Vettel made the whole world excited. The words of that radio team, after years, still give you goosebumps. A powerful and liberating scream and then: “Sì ragazzi, oh! Mi senti?! Mi senti?! Grazie mille ragazzi, davvero. Grazie, grazie grazie. Dai, forza Ferrari! ". Emotion and adrenaline mixed with happiness and disbelief, he had finally realized one of the many dreams that he jealously kept in his drawer as a child.
Looking back on that race, many snapshots come to mind that tell of true happiness. I think of heart pounding, adrenaline and labored breathing. I think of the smiles and celebrations among the mechanics who waited for him at the wall to see him triumph. The screams of the fans in the stands that had witnessed the return of Ferrari. To the joy of Adami who announced another victory. To the strong and almost paternal embrace between Arrivabene and Seb. I think of Vettel's excitement in the retropod and on the podium. At his fist on the Ferrari emblem. I think of the dive into the past that we have all done listening to the German anthem followed by the Italian one.
Finally I think of tears, his and ours. They were very sweet tears. Tears that tasted of expectation, serenity, sweat, hope and revenge. Of passion and above all of dreams. There are moments that we will always take with us, because they are special and important. There are moments that will always make us excited, even after years. Sebastian Vettel's first victory in Ferrari is one of those moments.
VETTEL: A REAL FERRARIST
Vettel's victory on the Sepang circuit reminded all Ferrari drivers what it meant to win and believe in the possibility of a World Championships. That of 2015 was only the first of countless masterpieces in red. How can we forget the moving victory in Hungary dedicated to Jules, or the overtaking against Bottas during the 2017 Spanish GP? How can we forget the powerful victory in Britain in 2018 or the incredible comeback of the past season in Germany? Impossible not to get excited thinking about how much the German has given to Ferrari and the fans.
I've always wondered what was so special about his victories that I was thrilled like never before. In the end I found the answer. I understood that it's not just about how well he drove, how spectacular overtaking could have been or how ingenious the strategy was. Instead it is his radio teams, his shiny eyes and the hops he does while waving flags with the prancing horse.
I understood that it is about passion, heart and soul because Sebastian is not simply a Ferrari driver, but a true Ferrarista. So I conclude my story with this quote by Sebastian Vettel, which perfectly shows how much love binds him to the Maranello team. “Everyone is a Ferrari fan. Even if they say they are not, they are Ferrari fans. Even if you go to the Mercedes guys, even if they say - oh yes! Mercedes is the greatest in the world - they are Ferrari fans”.
Author: Sebforever587
Images: credits to Getty Images
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