“I was looking at my younger self”: Sebastian Vettel claims he saw something special in Charles Leclerc

Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc joined forces for Ferrarin in 2019. The two had a great relationship, but there were a few instances of competitive friction between the two drivers from different generations.

In the end, Ferrari saw their chapter with Vettel ending in 2020. When the German left at the end of that season, he wrote to Leclerc that he was the best talent the former had seen in a long time.

Leclerc, since then, managed to have his first championship fight in 2022. He failed to win it, but he still showed that the Monegasque can win a world title like his former teammate.

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Charles Leclerc is like the younger Sebastian Vettel

Vettel is surely in awe of Leclerc’s talent. Initially, there were tensions over wins between the two drivers, but one day Vettel realized how extraordinary Leclerc was when he saw glaring similarities between him and the Monegasque.

“It was funny, because I watched him and we got along really well. I think I really enjoyed the time we spent together. But it was a little bit as if I was looking at my younger self and it did take a little bit of time to understand that,” said Vettel on Beyond the Grid.

Vettel’s departure from Ferrari made life easier for everyone involved at Ferrari, including the two. No more Vettel had to focus on being the number one in the team, as he had a move to Aston Martin prepared.

Fastest driver ever raced with

Vettel was also asked which driver was the fastest driver he had ever seen. The four-time world champion has raced against several legendary drivers, including the two most successful drivers- Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton.

Yet, he names Leclerc as the one. According to him, the Ferrar academy graduate is the one. He claims it to be a special talent and is in awe of how the 25-year-old squeezes out the pace from his car.

In 2022, Leclerc had the most pole positions— nine. However, he could limit himself only to three wins this season. Converting poles to wins was the biggest shortcoming of Leclerc this season.

Though he is not the only one to be blamed, Ferrari’s questionable strategies and unreliability were more damaging. In 2023, Leclerc and Ferrari would be eyeing the title. It’s expected they would have learnt from their past mistakes.

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