Scuderia Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel has taken a philosophical stance ahead of the final race of the season, commenting on his season that “sometimes something was just not meant to be.”
Vettel looked to be an early favourite for the title at the start of the season, taking three wins and three second places in the first six races, however a mixture of bad results, poor reliability and a fast-improving Mercedes car saw his challenge come to an end at the Mexican Grand Prix. Heading into the final race he sits some forty-three points behind eventual champion Lewis Hamilton and just twenty-two points ahead of Valtteri Bottas – meaning there’s a chance he could still finish third.
Despite the disappointment of missing out on the Driver’s title, Vettel is keen to look at the positives from the season – saying that whilst Ferrari missed out on much in the latter half of the season, the team has a strong spirit to carry into 2018.
“This year we’ve been very close to get the maximum prize. Of course, you always look at what you lost and in the last part of this season we missed out on a lot. At the same time, though, I think what we’ve achieved is clearer. The team is there and the spirit is there as well. There are many positive aspects giving us strength and hope for next year.”
Commenting on Ferrari’s chances for next year, he steered clear of making any bold predictions – very much staying ambiguous and non-committal.
“It is impossible to predict what will happen, but I think if we manage to focus on ourselves as we’ve done this year and with no distractions, then we should be able to do well. Our car has always been strong this year, but sometimes something was just not meant to be. Sometimes we made mistakes with big consequences and outcomes. However, these things happen and if we can learn from all these things and go deep inside, then we will be on the right path”.
