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“Sebastian Vettel must’ve thought I was weird”- Charles Leclerc reveals how much he admired 4-time World Champion teammate at Ferrari

Somin Bhattacharjee
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"Sebastian Vettel must've thought I was weird"- Charles Leclerc reveals how much he admired 4-time World Champion teammate at Ferrari

Sebastian Vettel spent two years in Ferrari as teammates with Charles Leclerc, which was a fascinating experience for the latter.

Vettel established himself as one of F1’s greatest of all time when he won four consecutive World Titles with Red Bull from 2010-2013. After spending another year at the Milton-Keynes outfit, he jumped ship to Ferrari.

Ferrari’s last World Title win was in 2007, when Kimi Raikkonen lead them to victory. Success had eluded the Italian team for quite some time but Vettel’s arrival gave them hope. The German driver was labeled as someone who would bring glory back to the Tifosi.

However, his move to Ferrari did not quite turn out to be as successful as people thought it would be. He won 14 races during his time in Maranello but could never pose a serious threat to Lewis Hamilton for the World Title.

In 2019, his Ferrari teammate since 2015, Raikkonen left and joined Alfa Romeo. Ferrari junior Charles Leclerc was given the jump and he partnered Vettel at the team.

Also read: How Miami amassed $350 Million from F1 race in 2022

Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc’s bromance in Ferrari

Vettel was one of F1’s most experienced drivers, and Leclerc was hailed as the golden boy. Together they formed a formidable partnership on paper. It did not quite materialize, because Ferrari did not have the best car.

In 2019, they had moments were they showed real pace. Three back to wins in Belgium, Monza and Singapore was the highlight of their campaign but it wasn’t enough to dethrone Mercedes.

2020 on the other hand was a disaster for the Scuderia. They finished P6 in the Constructors” Standings in what was their worst ever campaign since 1980.

In spite of their troubles with performance, Leclerc admitted that he looked up to Vettel. After the latter announced his retirement from F1 earlier this week, the Monegasque driver heaped praise on his former Ferrari teammate.

“I was so impressed with Seb in 2019 that he must have thought I was weird,” Leclerc admitted.

Vettel left Ferrari after the 2020 campaign to join the Silverstone outfit, which was rebranded as Aston Martin. He has had one podium finish with them so far, which was in the form of a P2 finish in Baku last year.

Also read: Fernando Alonso signs a two year extension with Alpine keeping him in F1 till 2024

About the author

Somin Bhattacharjee

Somin Bhattacharjee

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Formula 1 Editor Somin Bhattacharjee fell for the sport as well as Fernando Alonso on the same day — during the Spaniard’s thrilling victory at the German GP in 2010. Over the years, the passion magnified manyfold, and metamorphosed into a writing career in 2021. Though holding a bachelor's degree in marketing, Somin discovered his true calling in writing. He has penned over 2,700 articles for TheSportsRush, presenting a diverse range — news reports, opinions, and exclusives. A true Tiffosi, Somin never gives up on a chance to defend the Ferrari boys as a fan. As a sports writer though, he remains objective to the core and relishes opportunities to follow and engage in dissecting the action during races. That’s where the real thrill lies for him. Beyond the racetrack, Somin plays different sports including soccer. He enjoys exploring other sporting events and proudly supports Spanish soccer club Real Madrid.

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