In the very first episode of our new F1 history podcast, The Race F1 Rewind, hosts Edd Straw and Mark Hughes look back at Sebastian Vettel’s six-year stint with Ferrari and a partnership that promised much, but delivered nothing like what was hoped for.
Driven by the romantic dream of replicating the golden era of his hero Michael Schumacher, the four-time world champion arrived at Maranello in late 2014 ready to lead the team to new glories, only to find that his footing was already being undermined by internal wrangling and political upheaval at the Scuderia.
Edd and Mark explain the timeline of events and extraordinary behind-the-scenes details that meant Vettel never stepped into the supportive environment he thought he was joining.
They outline how Vettel came to leave Red Bull, how Ferrari's incumbent star Fernando Alonso was blindsided by his team's secret talks with Vettel, how the rapid turnover of senior leadership continually impacted the German's standing, and how the sudden promotion of young phenom Charles Leclerc served as an internal test of Vettel's worth.
Edd and Mark also hit the fast forward button to explain how the hangover of this period is still felt today, with Leclerc having faced many of the same issues as his former team-mate.
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