Ferrari sporting director Laurent Mekies claims that the way Sebastian Vettel united the team in good and bad times, no other driver could do. Speaking about the German during his stay at Ferrari, Mekies pointed out one crucial quality that stood him apart from everybody else. Speaking to the media about the former Ferrari driver's greatest quality, Mekies said:
“I like to separate the driver from the man. The driver has always had an incredible attention to detail and from his very beginnings, you could understand that he had something special. And he has grown over his career and at Ferrari he has developed the talent to try to unite the team, in good times and in bad times.’’
He further said:
“In this he was second to none. In addition, with his talent and dedication, his attention to detail, he has achieved what he has achieved. But I think about him we will also remember the incredible respect for all his colleagues, in his eyes you can clearly read this when you talk to him. And it was something that pushed us to improve and it was a privilege to have shared the path with him’’
Sebastian Vettel was stuck in politics at BMW
Franz Tost revealed that Sebastian Vettel was stuck in politics at BMW, as while the German contingent had faith in him, Sauber did not. Tost further revealed that Vettel was an instant success at Torro Rosso as after a few early bumps, he got up to speed. Tost said:
“You have to know that Sebastian, who was previously a test pilot at BMW, slipped into the political games there. BMW like Mario Theissen wanted to keep him, other, Sauber people, didn’t. That rubbed off on our discussions.’’
He continued:
“Despite some loss of front spoilers, which a young driver must be allowed to do, he was quick to speed and he continued to race stronger - culminating in winning at Monza in 2008 after claiming pole the day before. Then you finally saw the great potential in Sebastian. One of his great strengths: as soon as he discovered a certain technology in the car, he worked meticulously to turn it to his advantage.’’
Sebastian Vettel will be retiring from the sport at the end of the 2022 F1 season after a career that has spanned 15 years and will be sorely missed.