It's true, Ferrari is the dream of every driver at the top of his game. But it is also true that the psychological weight a World Champion has to bear from the very first day he wears the red overalls is truly enormous “I have to win, they hired me for that, I am the best at what I do, and I will do it”.a
Over the last thirty years, four World Champions have joined Maranello: Prost, Schumacher, Alonso and Vettel and the weight of that responsibility appears more than evident. Schumacher himself, before claiming the title in 2000, suffered the frustration of three consecutive defeats from 1997 to 1999, always at the very last race, while three great champions of the calibre of Prost, Alonso and Vettel, each saw their dreams fade away between magnificent illusions and burning disappointments.
However, there remains another possibility we want to offer as a good wish for the future: Sebastian Vettel will compete in any case, virus permitting, for the 2020 World Cup. He will do so free from constraints, without the heavy pressure of the team or the media. So why not reverse the tables? To date, only two drivers out of four have become World Champions in thirty years. What if this number becomes three? It's up to Seb to stay calm and go for it. Impossible? Why would that be? Let’s hope we can have fun and enjoy it.
CLASSIC CAR MATCHER