Is Sebastian Vettel the right man for Ferrari?

Sebastian Vettel

Can he revive Ferrari’s fortunes?

All throughout this season, there were rumblings about Sebastian Vettel, the winner of the past four F1 world titles, joining Ferrari for 2015, or for 2016. No sooner, had we expected such an announcement, than it became a reality. Just before the Japanese Grand Prix, Red Bull announced that Vettel, would be leaving the team at the end of the year. The team he is most likely headed to is Ferrari, to replace Fernando Alonso, who has become disgruntled after 5 seasons with no success.

Vettel would be following in the footsteps of his countryman and idol, Michael Schumacher, who joined Ferrari in 1996 and brought the iconic Italian team back to glory. But glory has been in short supply around Ferrari's Maranello headquarters lately. The team's last title came in 2008, during Kimi Raikkonen's first stint with the team, when he partnered with Felipe Massa to win the constructors' championship. Their last victory came early in 2013, when Alonso won his home grand prix in Spain. Given, Alonso, has only managed two podiums this season, what are the realistic expectations for Vettel if he joins Ferrari?

To say that he isn’t the right man for Ferrari would be an understatement. Leading Red Bull to championship glory and having the car suit him was primarily the reason, why Ferrari would want him. He knows how to have a car underneath him, and he’s gained enough experience to lead an underperforming team to winning championships. But all of this does not lead to the fact that Ferrari is in a crisis compared to its rivals. The team's 2014 engine is significantly under-powered compared to the Mercedes unit and has contributed to Ferrari's struggles.

Do not expect miracles from Vettel

More likely, 2015 will be a rebuilding year for the team as new Ferrari chairman Sergio Marchionne and team principal Marco Mattiacci continue to restructure the team and bring in the people they want. No matter who is hired or what changes are made, Vettel is looking at a difficult first season wearing Ferrari red. The team he is going to be leaving Red Bull, and Williams, are the most likely challengers for Mercedes next season.

Perhaps it is easier to say what does not look possible, first. A championship—drivers' or constructors'—seems out of the question. A race win seems a long shot at the beginning of the 2015 season for Vettel and Ferrari, and unless Mercedes end up with reliability problems, it will be a struggle for Vettel to win races next year.

However, after four years of unqualified success at Red Bull, he finally faced disappointment this year.Despite being overshadowed this year by his new Red Bull teammate, Daniel Ricciardo, Vettel has remained cool and focused. Those traits—and this years’ experience, not running at the front, for once—will serve him well if Ferrari are not immediately competitive.

Exciting times ahead for the German

If Vettel does get a 3-year contract as rumoured, at the start of the 2017 season, Vettel will still be just 29 years old (for reference, Alonso is now 33). He has the time to build something special with Ferrari. His craving for a new challenge led to his exit from Red Bull which was a surprise. Even Bernie Ecclestone has said that Vettel is the right man for Ferrari.

A return to being a championship contender, might not be expected for Ferrari and Vettel for the 2015 season, but he also knows that if he can help return F1's most successful and popular team to the top of the sport, he will be mentioned in the same breath as Schumacher and many other F1 legends. In Vettel, Ferrari can look forward to a bright future.