Would Vettel swap Red Bull titles for a Ferrari one?

Sebastian Vettel

Would Vettel swap Red Bull titles for a Ferrari one?

Tough choice. Or is it...

Martin Macdonald

Friday 3 May 2019 17:00

Four-time Formula 1 driver’s championship winner Sebastian Vettel responded with an emphatic “no deal” when asked if he would swap two of his titles with Red Bull for one with Ferrari, as he has full confidence in himself of accomplishing the feat with the Scuderia.

Only Lewis Hamilton, Juan Manuel Fangio, and Michael Schumacher have won more titles than Vettel, but the German’s last victory came in 2013, with Mercedes dominating since via Hamilton and Nico Rosberg.

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When asked by Martin Brundle of Sky Sports if he would swap his Red Bull wins for one with Ferrari, Vettel said no, and plans to become Ferrari’s 10th champion.

"Maybe I'm a bad dealer but I wouldn't because I'm convinced I can win with Ferrari. No need to trade!

"Nine is not a good number, let's make it 10! It's something that I want to achieve first. I don't want to sound selfish or arrogant, but I put a lot of pressure on my shoulders."

Mercedes have won the last constructor’s championships and are running away with 2019’s title after only four races, and Vettel believes it is important that he and new team-mate Charles Leclerc get Ferrari competing again before dealing with their own rivalry.

"I think it's normal if you're in the same car, you're fighting your team-mate for the same spot on the track every now and then,” the German said.

“Obviously it's up to me to make sure he's rather behind rather than in front. We are obviously pushing each other and pushing the team, I think that's the priority. To get Ferrari back to winning ways and then the rest will be sorted out."

As for away from the track, Vettel admits to being not being on social media as he wishes to retain his privacy to life his “normal” life.

"I just can't identify with a generation that wants to share everything, at all times,” he continued.

“It's not that I have something to hide, not at all. I think many people are thinking that life of a Formula 1 driver is a lot more exotic than my life is, but I actually like to have a normal life, and I think I qualify as living a normal life.

“But I don't have the desire to share. Why? I don't get the point. Why do you need to tell people what you are doing?"

After four races in Australia, Bahrain, China, and Azerbaijan, Vettel is third in the championship - 35 points adrift of the leader, Hamilton.