Sebastian Vettel is hopeful that Charles Leclerc will get “the car he deserves” going forward, after their on-track relationship as team-mates came to an end on Sunday.
Ferrari rounded out a difficult season with another disappointing result at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, walking away from the race with no points on the board, as Leclerc took 13th and Vettel 14th.
Vettel leaves Ferrari after failing to secure a World Championship with the team – a goal he set back when he joined it in 2015.
However, Vettel hopes that Leclerc will receive a consistent front-running Ferrari car in the coming years, asserting it is what the Monegasque driver deserves.
“I’ve learned so much from this team, they have given me so much,” Vettel said.
“I’m very grateful for that, it’s beyond titles and victories, for sure that’s what we were after, in the end we didn’t get it.
“It doesn’t change anything, I wish this team well, I wish the guys well. Charles is a young, fresh hope of this team and I hope he gets the car he deserves in the next years.”
Vettel added that he will recall his final race with Ferrari not for the final result but for the events surrounding his farewell.
“There’s many reasons why you can argue why we did not succeed and finish the mission we set out to achieve but what you keep ultimately is the memories and the passion I shared with so many people along the way,” Vettel said.
“I have no regrets looking back. Certainly there have been mistakes, there have been highs and lows.
“I’m not normally the most emotional guy, today is a different day, a day I will remember not for finishing 14th but for what it means in the big picture.
“It is a day I will treasure. It is a goodbye to many friends and in a way I fell in love with, in the last years, so those I will miss.”
“I’m sure I won’t lose those completely, we have a saying in German, you always see each other twice in life, I think time will tell.”
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