Vettel will ‘push through’ F1 difficulties out of respect for Ferrari

Sebastian Vettel believes it is only right to “push through” a difficult 2020 Formula 1 season out of respect for Ferrari in his final races with the team. 

The four-time world champion has endured a tough season so far amid Ferrari’s slump in competitiveness and lies 11th in the championship standings with a best result of sixth-place from the Hungarian Grand Prix. 

Vettel’s well-documented struggles have overshadowed what will be his swansong year for Ferrari, but the German remains determined to make the most out of his final 11 races with the Italian outfit. 

“There’s always two ways to look at it: you can get frustrated by it or you tackle it and you push through, and that’s what I’m here to do. I’m always optimistic,” Vettel said. 

“I think there’s always stuff that you can learn but those things just don’t go away like that. They come up like that, but they don’t just go away. We have to work on it and I’m sure we’ll get through it.

“The year isn’t over so as a team we try to make progress and individually I also try to make the best out of the situation and… it’s not an easy one but as I said we will are trying to make the most out of it.

“It’s only a sign of respect to give everything that I have back as well, independent of the amount of races that I have left, for the team.”

Vettel said he would prefer not to linger on the “negatives or the bad things”, but rather focus on the positives and trying to make the most of the opportunity he has. 

“I don’t look at the negatives or the bad things,” he explained. “I think first of all I’m not counting the races, I’m going race-by-race and I’m trying to do my job, do the best I can looking forward. 

“I’m always optimistic and would rather see the opportunity than the struggles. And I think that’s also the right thing to do in respect of what we have achieved in the last years.

“For sure there were some moments that were not good and not great and the moments that we did not enjoy but there were equally great moments, wins, etc, so a lot of positives as well.

“Independent of what happens next year and the year after that I’m trying to enjoy the time that I have left with the guys that I spent so much time with over the last years.”