After the Monaco Grand Prix, a couple of weeks ago, word spread through Formula 1 suggesting that Sebastian Vettel was disenchanted with the sport and was considering quitting at the end of this season.
However, speaking to reporters in Montreal ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix weekend, Vettel himself has declared that the speculation was way off the mark, “I never said anything like it, so I don’t know where they come from.”
“I think I can stop whenever I want, and the team can probably kick me out whenever they want, but I’m very happy with the team and I hope the team is happy with myself.”
“I’m very hungry and I have a mission here to win. That’s really the only thing that matters to me, winning with Ferrari, and that’s what I’m working for. Currently, we’re not winning, you can do the maths, so we still have something to do.”
Vettel trails in the championship standings by 55 points after six rounds, with Hamilton having won four times this season while Mercedes seek a ninth straight win, six of which have been scored this season.
The four-time F1 World Champion acknowledged, “The next races will be really crucial for us trying to get back to the front and give a much harder time to Mercedes. Once we can establish that, then we have plenty of reason to look forward. It will be crucial to do it sooner rather than later.”
“At the moment I’m not too fussed at looking at ‘this is the date it has to happen’. Clearly we are behind, clearly there is quite a big margin between Mercedes and the rest, Mercedes and also ourselves, so we have to close that gap and get ahead, otherwise it will be difficult to turn it around.”
“I don’t think you need to be a genius: before the summer break we need to be in very, very good shape to then use that momentum for the second half to turn it around,” added the Ferrari driver who has not won a race since he triumphed in Belgium last year.
Monaco Grand Prix: Hamilton holds off Verstappen in stalemate