Ferrari had already wanted to sign Sebastian Vettel back in 2012: however, during a secret meeting with Luca di Montezemolo, a surprising decision was made
Could Sebastian Vettel have driven for Ferrari earlier than 2015? In the new ARD documentary “Being Sebastian Vettel”, the four-time Formula 1 world champion explained that he had received an offer from Ferrari as early as 2012, but turned it down
Vettel said that initial contact with Maranello took place in 2012 following his second world title win with Red Bull (2011). “It was actually a letter. Just a gesture of recognition, saying something like ‘incredible achievement’ and ‘congratulations’, without going into anything else,” said Vettel. The sender was Luca di Montezemolo, who was Ferrari’s president at the time.
However, Di Montezemolo did not stop at a congratulatory letter: “In 2012, I was even invited to meet him. It was a secret meeting,” said Vettel.
What was discussed at the secret Ferrari meeting
During this meeting, Vettel’s sporting situation eventually came up: “He asked what the contractual situation was. ‘Would you like to drive for Ferrari?’” But Vettel wasn’t interested: “At the time, I was very happy at Red Bull. There was no need. So I turned it down, but left the door slightly ajar,” explained Vettel.
Three years later, he did end up driving for Ferrari – the brand’s “appeal” had ultimately drawn him in. Vettel said: “I was shaped as a child. I used to visit the Ferrari Museum as a child.”
“I remember my childhood. Michael Schumacher, a red car. It wasn’t that I had a dream of wanting to be like Michael, but [Ferrari] was a huge magnet that drew me in.”
Vettel’s Ferrari dream: first hope, then disillusionment
The partnership got off to a promising start: Vettel finished on the podium in his very first Ferrari race and won his second Grand Prix for Ferrari.
He himself felt “euphoria” in the first few months and “a kind of liberation” after a difficult final year at Red Bull without a single race win of his own. At Ferrari, “hope” began to grow that they could “build something new”, according to Vettel.
Although Ferrari emerged as title contenders with Vettel in 2017 and 2018, Vettel ultimately finished behind Lewis Hamilton in the Mercedes in the Formula 1 drivers’ championship on both occasions.
After that, his motivation waned, as Vettel admitted in the ARD documentary. Ultimately, Ferrari did not renew his contract: Vettel left Ferrari after the 2020 season – without the hoped-for fifth world championship title.