.png "os2 trasparenza (1)")
With four races to go in the World Championship, Sebastian Vettel is more than positive about his first year with Ferrari.
"When I joined Ferrari there was never any guarantee of results, but now it's nice to know that we have exceeded all sorts of expectations, including mine".
Before reflecting on his season with Ferrari, Vettel takes a step back and talks about his experiences with Red Bull in an exclusive interview with formulaone.com:
"I'm very happy with my years there. The four world titles speak for themselves".
But the farewell came:
"2014 was a negative year. I didn't perform the way I wanted to, and when that happens it's more honest to show your feelings and not hide behind a fake smile. So around this time last year I realised it was time to move on. And where I am now has proved me right. I am very happy with the way things have turned out".
And so the Ferrari connection was born:
"I don't want to be arrogant, but I had contact with Ferrari years ago. When you are in the paddock you meet occasionally. So I've had talks before, but the timing wasn't right. Suddenly, last year, it was right and that made the difference".
The championship may be in the hands of Lewis Hamilton, but three victories, eight podiums and second place in the standings are enough to satisfy the former Red Bull driver, who reveals how fantastic the atmosphere is even inside the paddock, contradicting Niki Lauda, who spoke of drama or chaos when Ferrari didn't win:
"Ferrari has been there since the beginning of F1. It's the history, the drivers... there's something special about Ferrari. So it was a dream come true when I joined and against all the odds, the first year has been amazing so far. So no drama so far! It's a very familiar environment here. There is something special about the Italians. My summary is: I like it".
On his relationship with Kimi Raikkonen, the German driver said:
"We are a good team. Kimi is calm in a lot of ways. Then there's the background, which depends on where you come from. Maybe the Spanish are a bit warmer, the Finns a bit cooler. Kimi and I are happy with the team and vice versa. That's what success is all about".
Finally, he is asked what he will do when he retires. Hamilton, for example, has admitted that he wants to stay in the limelight, perhaps in fashion, music or design. Vettel will make different choices:
"My lifestyle is very different. At the moment I am happy with what I am doing and I have never thought about my life after F1. But yes, it's true that I won't be here in ten years' time and I'm sure I'll have found something else by then, because it's true that you get bored very quickly and think you're wasting your life".
Lewis Hamilton has not yet cracked open the champagne to celebrate his third F1 world title, his second in a row: the British driver leads the championship with 302 points, 66 more than his nearest rival, Sebastian Vettel, and could become world champion on Sunday 25 October 2015 in Austin.
"My experience tells me that nothing can be taken for granted, so I haven't planned anything for next weekend. I will prepare for the next race like all the others. I have four races to win the title, the most important thing is to arrive in Abu Dhabi as a champion".
At the last Russian Grand Prix, the British driver celebrated not only his personal victory but also Mercedes' triumph in the Constructors' World Championship:
"It was fantastic to celebrate with the team, to whom I am extremely grateful for all the results we have achieved this year. Now I can't wait to race in Austin, one of my favourite circuits. I also love the United States and can't wait to race there".
At the same time, Datuk Wan Zulkiflee Wan Ariffin, President and CEO of Petronas Group, said:
"I would like to congratulate the team and all the staff for their hard work which has earned us the Constructors' World Championship again this year. A special thanks to Lewis and Nico: every time they take to the track, race after race, they repay everyone's commitment and dedication".
He adds:
"Petronas is proud to partner with the Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team and contribute to this new level of success. It is an honour to work with a team that shares our passion and thirst for victory, and fuels our great vision: to be pioneers in the development of engine oils for the automotive sector".
The collaboration between Petronas and Mercedes-Benz dates back to 2010, when Mercedes returned to Formula One for the first time since 1955. Together, Petronas and the Mercedes team have developed a brand new range of bespoke fuels and lubricants (Primax, Syntium and Tutela) to provide the competitive edge needed to win the Constructors' World Championship in 2014 and 2015 and the Drivers' World Championship in 2014. The team is also firmly at the top of the Drivers' World Championship standings with four races to go this season. On the other hand, the United States Grand Prix is already looking like a challenge for Ferrari. The Maranello team's decision to use the fifth internal combustion engine of the season in Austin will result in a ten place grid penalty for both Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen. A significant setback, but one that the German takes in his stride:
"We were prepared. It was always our plan, it was never a secret to us. Serving the penalty here may seem like bad news, but if you look at the big picture, the advantage of having a new power unit is obvious. The strategy is to always have the most powerful engine. The guys in the engine department have done a fantastic job this year, and even the decision we made for this Grand Prix should be seen in a positive light, because it means we are always going for maximum performance: a strategy that has worked very well so far. The challenge we faced was huge, with many people in new roles and myself being new to the team. It has taken a lot of effort to put it all together and so far it has been a great year".
For Lewis Hamilton, who can win the championship in Austin for the third time in his career, it will certainly be an enormous additional advantage. In order to close a game that is only open at the moment because the mathematics leave room for hope, the Mercedes Englishman only needs to achieve a wide range of combinations, provided he finishes with 9 points more than Sebastian Vettel and 2 points ahead of Nico Rosberg. In other words, by finishing ahead of his team-mate and winning the race, the Caribbean-born driver will become world champion for the second year in a row.
"First of all, I'm happy to be here. I always enjoy racing in the United States and the track in Austin is fantastic. I have won here before and we can easily try again, especially as I have had a perfect car in recent weeks".
Lewis Hamilton knows he has an important promotional role to play, as F1 is not one of the most followed sports in the United States:
"They're crazy about the NBA, the sports you can do on the street. Maybe F1 should work more with American brands. I don't think I've ever seen an NBA player watching a race; not many athletes have come here to see what we do".
The Englishman then recounts an off-track incident during a kart race:
"Yesterday (Wednesday, 21 October 2015) I was racing in a karting event with two guys of colour. One of them overtook me and he was very happy. This makes me say that F1 is loved here, even if not as much as in other countries".
Finally, there is the aftermath between Kimi Raikkonen and Valtteri Bottas, who are still at loggerheads over the dramatic end of the Russian Grand Prix, which saw the Williams Finn retiring in the chase for the podium.
"They should apologise".
Says Valtteri Bottas at the United States Grand Prix press conference.
"I would do it again, it was impossible to avoid contact".
Replies his compatriot. Even Kimi Raikkonen seems fatalistic when he talks about the incident:
"It's part of our programme. Since last winter, before the start of the season, we had a plan to use five units: we followed it and we are making progress. Obviously, running the fifth V6 engine will result in a penalty, which is not an ideal situation. But if we hadn't implemented this programme, we wouldn't have made all this progress. We continue to do our job and move forward to get to where we want to be at the end of next season. This year we'll do everything we can to finish the season in the best possible way, and then we'll focus all our efforts on the next championship. What kind of race do you expect? It's a pretty nice track, the weather forecast doesn't look too good, but we hope it will be better than expected in the end".
Alexander Rossi will be the first American to race at the Circuit of the Americas, returning to Manor Marussia after Roberto Merhi drove for them in Russia. The Sauber team will be celebrating its 400th Grand Prix in Formula One. The weather is forecast to be wet throughout the weekend, with particularly treacherous conditions on Friday afternoon and Saturday, while the race day itself is expected to be slightly less wet.
Fernando Alonso will be using a new power unit in his McLaren for the weekend, one that he used in practice for the previous race in Russia, where he received a grid penalty. Team-mate Jenson Button is hoping Alonso will destroy him, adding:
"It's unusual to say that, but in our situation it's all about getting it on the car".
McLaren are also introducing new aerodynamic parts to their cars for the Grand Prix. Manor Marussia's Will Stevens has been moved back 20 places for a change to his engine, turbocharger and MGU-H unit. Renault will use eleven of their twelve remaining tokens for power unit changes. However, the two customer teams, Red Bull and Toro Rosso, have decided not to use the update, claiming that the performance advantage is not worth the grid penalties. Both Red Bull and McLaren use new front wings, emulating a concept introduced by Mercedes, which is designed to generate more downforce by directing airflow to the outside of the front tyres. Ferrari are making similar changes to their SF15-T. In preparation for the effects of Mexico's high altitude, Mercedes are adding two ears to the top of the airbox to improve cooling of their engine's energy recovery system. Under the 2015 regulations, three practice sessions are scheduled, two 1.5-hour sessions on Friday, 23 October 2015, and another one-hour session before qualifying on Saturday. However, due to treacherous weather conditions, including flood warnings, the second practice session is cancelled due to heavy rain and a thunderstorm. The other two sessions will take place in wet conditions. Nico Rosberg tops the timesheet on Friday, ahead of the two Red Bulls of Daniil Kvyat and Daniel Ricciardo. The session starts on a very wet track, but as the rain stops, the track dries out as the session progresses, with the drivers soon switching to intermediate tyres. Lewis Hamilton is fifth fastest behind Carlos Sainz Jr. Despite a late spin, Fernando Alonso is ninth fastest in the new McLaren. A gearbox problem means that Pastor Maldonado is unable to take to the track, while for Sauber, Raffaele Marciello replaces Felipe Nasr and finishes the session three tenths of a second quicker than team-mate Marcus Ericsson.
The weekend of the United States Grand Prix didn't get off to the best of starts. After the first free practice session, which was held in heavy and continuous rain, it was not possible to take to the track for the second 90 minutes. A quarter of an hour before the start, the stewards sent a bus onto the track to pick up all the marshals stationed around the Circuit of the Americas in Austin and take them back to the paddock. The threat of lightning made it dangerous for them to be on the track. After a few laps in the car of race director Charlie Whiting to check the conditions due to the amount of water that had flooded the circuit, the second free practice session was cancelled for good an hour later. The official reason given was that the medical helicopter could not take off for two hours. The cancellation of the afternoon session, coupled with the undoubtedly poor weather forecast for the following day, also jeopardises the third free practice session and the normal running of qualifying. Many fear that the tail of Hurricane Patricia, which has been described as the strongest in history and is due to hit Mexico in the next few hours, could reach the Texas capital. The practice session on Saturday 24 October 2015 will be held without spectators to ensure their safety. On track, Lewis Hamilton is fastest, ahead of his closest rival for the championship, Sebastian Vettel. As conditions deteriorate during the session, Vettel spins twice. Max Verstappen finishes last, with Force India's Nico Hulkenberg third ahead of Valtteri Bottas and Sainz. Bad weather continues to disrupt Saturday's action as qualifying is postponed several times before finally being rescheduled for Sunday morning. Many drivers support the decision, with Jenson Button saying:
"It was the right thing to do. In a way it might have been better for the fans if we had decided three hours earlier. But we wanted to get out there and ride and put on a show. Delaying it every half hour was the way it had to be".
During Saturday's wait, many teams in the paddock engage in silly antics to entertain the crowds, such as bowling and ballroom dancing between Red Bull teammates Daniel Ricciardo and Daniil Kvyat. Ferrari later condemned the behaviour of their fellow teams, with team principal Maurizio Arrivabene saying:
"We are a Formula One team, not Cirque du Soleil".
Kimi Raikkonen backs him up, saying:
"I think this is F1 and not the circus. People are obviously not happy when we're not racing, but we can't make them happy with what we do when we're not racing".
Heavy rain and strong winds show no mercy. In the end, after countless delays, the tests were completely cancelled and rescheduled for Sunday morning in Texas. But if it wasn't possible to race on Sunday morning, the times from the free practice sessions would be taken into account. The last time the cars took to the track was in the third free practice session, which was also held on a wet track due to continuous rain throughout the hour-long session. And it was Hamilton who dominated. The Briton clocked a time of 1:59.517, ahead of Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel and Force India's Nico Hulkenberg. Fourth place went to Valtteri Bottas, who finished ahead of Carlos Sainz Jr, Daniil Kvyat and Kimi Raikkonen. Daniel Ricciardo (2'01"008) completes the top ten, followed by Nico Rosberg and Felipe Massa. Sunday, 24 October 1976, Japan, Fuji circuit, Lauda retired. The race was held in prohibitive conditions, with water up to the knees, too risky for the Austrian champion, who was now leading in Mercedes and recovering from the terrible crash at the Nürburgring, better to live and leave the championship to his rival Hunt. These were different times, the stuff of cinema, and indeed Rush, the film that tells the story of the duel between the two drivers, was a success. Nowadays, there is more common sense in F1, although the occasional safety lapse, such as the death of Bianchi at Suzuka a year ago, still leads to tragedy. Saturday was terrible, with Hurricane Patricia showing no mercy and wreaking havoc with the schedule in Austin. The end result of a day of uncertainty was 40 minutes of free practice (the third session, the end of which saw the cars and riders in the pits because of the return of the incessant rain), held in a surreal atmosphere and without spectators because the organisers had not yet been able to open the car parks flooded by the heavy overnight rain.
There were six half-hour delays in qualifying before the capitulation and the realisation that the pole battle could never take place in these conditions. Patricia had a huge impact on the weekend that could give Lewis Hamilton his third world title. The seemingly insignificant free practice sessions could, for the first time in the history of F1, become a tool for determining the grid for the race if, in compliance with the rule that qualifying must end no later than four hours before the start of the Grand Prix, the bad weather does not grant a reprieve and prevents the battle for the best lap time on Sunday morning in Texas from 9.00 to 10.00. The F1 leaders (and many drivers, because Hamilton was the best in free practice and his rival Rosberg was ninth) want to qualify at all costs. So much so, in fact, that on Saturday night, in conditions bordering on the grotesque (the few spectators in the stands were drenched, visibility was poor and the wind was stronger than any umbrella), they waited until darkness fell, hoping for a sudden break in the clouds. They only gave up when night fell, and on Sunday they'll try again, like in Suzuka in 2004 (second qualifying session on Sunday morning) or in Melbourne in 2013, with the first part of practice on Saturday and the last two sessions the following day. You can laugh at the unplanned antics of the drivers (Russian dance by Kvyat and Ricciardo, pagodas by the Saubers), but you cannot dare. Austin risks repeating the history of cancelled Grand Prix, as happened in Belgium in 1985: started in June, the race was only held on Sunday, September 15, 1985. On Sunday 25 October 2015, the first part of the qualifying session (Q1) was interrupted after just over five minutes when Sainz Jr. crashed in turn four, bringing out the red flag.
With the prospect of the rain worsening and the possibility that qualifying could be stopped at any time due to the weather, the teams battle for grid positions early on, with Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg and Daniel Ricciardo setting the fastest times. In addition to Sainz, both Manor Marussia drivers and the two Sauber cars of Marcus Ericsson and Felipe Nasr are eliminated. Sebastian Vettel finishes Q1 in fifteenth place after hitting a barrier, barely making it into Q2. In Q2, lap times improve and the two Mercedes drivers lead the way, with Rosberg just over a tenth of a second ahead of team-mate Hamilton. Fernando Alonso is quicker than Valtteri Bottas and looks set to make it into Q3 when Max Verstappen is quicker and takes the McLaren driver out of contention. Also outside the top ten are the two Lotus and the second McLaren of Jenson Button. Conditions soon deteriorate, preventing faster lap times. Many drivers spin out in the second half of the session, complaining of aquaplaning. As the rain continued to fall, it was decided to cancel the third part of qualifying and use the results of Q2 to determine the grid. As a result, Nico Rosberg secured his third consecutive pole position ahead of Hamilton, Ricciardo and Daniil Kvyat. Fifth fastest is Sebastian Vettel for Ferrari, but his grid penalty means that the third row will be occupied by the two Force India cars of Sergio Pérez and Nico Hülkenberg. The penalties for the two Ferraris mean that Fernando Alonso moves up to ninth on the grid, the highest grid position for McLaren at this stage of the season. After taking his third pole in a row, Rosberg says he is desperate to win the race, having been overtaken by Hamilton in Japan and retired in the Russian Grand Prix while leading. Sainz Jr needs stewards' permission to start the race after failing to post a time within 107% of Ricciardo's fastest lap in Q1. He was later cleared to start after his team managed to repair his car in time for the start. Following a gearbox change, Valtteri Bottas receives a five-place grid penalty, dropping him from eleventh to sixteenth on the grid. On Sunday, 25 October 2015, although the rain had stopped by race time, the track remained wet and slippery and all the drivers opted to start on intermediate tyres. Hamilton had the better start, entering the first corner alongside pole-sitter Rosberg and taking the lead out of the first corner by forcing the German wide. When he went off the track, Rosberg lost further positions and finished fifth behind Hamilton, Kvyat, Ricciardo and Pérez.
Further back, there was a collision involving Alonso, Massa, the two Sauber cars of Ericsson and Nasr, and Bottas, who pitted after the first lap, as did Nasr, who was the first to change to slicks as the track began to dry out. Will Stevens was hit from behind by team-mate Alexander Rossi, breaking his rear wing and forcing him to retire. Having started from the back of the grid, Carlos Sainz Jr. benefited from the incidents and moved up to tenth place by the end of the first lap. While Rosberg soon regained fourth place from Pérez, Hamilton at the front came under pressure from Kvyat, with the Red Bull drivers running fast in the damp conditions. With Kvyat just half a second behind the leader, a virtual safety car was brought out on lap five to clear the debris from the first corner incident. On lap seven, Valtteri Bottas retired with a damper failure caused by contact in turn one. When the virtual safety car came out on lap eight, Rosberg made an immediate move on Ricciardo to move up to third, and passed Kvyat for second on the same lap. Romain Grosjean was another casualty of the first lap when he came into the pit lane for the second time on lap 12 and retired. By this time, Sebastian Vettel had moved up from thirteenth on the grid to sixth. At the front, Kvyat went wide trying to overtake Rosberg, allowing his team-mate Ricciardo to move up to third; Ricciardo in turn made a successful manoeuvre on Rosberg to move up to second. A battle for the lead developed between Hamilton and Ricciardo until the Australian moved around Hamilton on lap 15. As the grip of the intermediate tyres deteriorated, there was plenty of overtaking on the track. Rosberg tried unsuccessfully to pass Hamilton for second on lap 16, while Verstappen took sixth from Vettel a lap later, only to run wide and lose the position again. On lap 18, Rosberg moved ahead of Hamilton, who was the first of the front runners to change tyres at the end of the lap, opting for a dry compound. The other leaders followed suit over the next few laps. After the pit stops, Ricciardo led Rosberg, Kvyat and Hamilton. The two Mercedes drivers moved ahead of their respective Red Bull rivals on laps 22 and 23, while Vettel, now in fifth, closed in on the leading quartet. He reached Kvyat on lap 24 and passed him for fourth, while Rosberg extended his lead over Ricciardo to nine seconds by lap 25. One lap later, Hamilton took over second place from Ricciardo.
At the same time, Kimi Räikkönen was forced to retire. Massa also retired on lap 24, suffering the same problem as his team-mate. On lap 27, Marcus Ericsson's Sauber came to a halt on the track, bringing out the safety car. At this point in the race, the order was as follows: Rosberg, Hamilton, Ricciardo, Kvyat, Verstappen, as Vettel used the safety car period for a tyre change and dropped back to sixth. When the safety car came out at the end of lap 32, Vettel was back in fifth after Verstappen also pitted for new tyres. On the restart, the German moved up to fourth at the expense of Kvyat into turn one, and a few laps later overtook Ricciardo's other Red Bull. However, Ricciardo fought back to regain the position in the next corner. On the following lap, Vettel was able to consolidate the move into turn one. Meanwhile, Kvyat was pushed further back as Verstappen moved up to fifth, followed by Hulkenberg. On lap 35, Verstappen overtook Ricciardo's second Red Bull to move up to fourth. When Nico Hülkenberg tried to do the same a lap later, he and Ricciardo collided, forcing the German to retire. Ricciardo was able to continue, but was overtaken by his team-mate, with Jenson Button following in seventh. When another virtual safety car was called to clear Hülkenberg's car, Rosberg decided to pit, dropping back to fourth behind Hamilton, Vettel and Verstappen.
By lap 40, when the safety car period was over, Rosberg had moved up to third at the expense of Verstappen, with Alonso moving up several places to sixth and his team-mate Button in fifth. Running on newer tyres, Rosberg overtook Vettel on lap 42. A lap later, Kvyat crashed heavily in the penultimate corner, bringing out another safety car. Both Hamilton and Vettel used the opportunity to change tyres, as did Button on lap 45. The safety car came out again at the end of lap 46, with the order as follows: Rosberg, Hamilton, Verstappen, Vettel, Alonso, Pérez, Button and Maldonado. On the restart, Verstappen tried to pass Hamilton but failed and was overtaken by Vettel. On lap 48, Rosberg lost the lead to Hamilton after spinning his rear tyres and sliding off the track. The German later explained that his mistake was caused by a strong gust of wind. Hamilton soon opened up a gap on his team-mate, while Button moved up to sixth ahead of Alonso on lap 50, only to lose the position to Sainz before the end of the race. His team-mate Alonso was fifth, but a loss of engine power saw him drop down the order, eventually finishing eleventh. In the closing laps, Vettel closed on Rosberg in second, but was unable to overtake. This meant that Hamilton, who crossed the line as race winner, also took his third career championship title, with both Vettel and Rosberg now too far behind.
"You are like a family to me. I love you. Just as I adore my real family".
In the end, the world champion is moved to talk to his team on the radio. Lewis Hamilton, the invincible, is being tested. This time it's not about going to the shooting range, as he occasionally does in his spare time between races, or enjoying himself at rock concerts, or riding a Harley Davidson, perhaps in the United States, which he loves so much and which has given him immense pleasure. This time it's about celebrating the third World Championship title of his career, the second in a row, a series of laurels that links him to his lifelong idol, Ayrton Senna, to whom he is becoming increasingly similar as a driver, in popularity and in fame. An achievement born in the most exciting race of this World Championship, the spectacular conclusion of an unfortunate weekend in which Austin, hit by Hurricane Patricia, seemed unable to see cars on the track, except sporadically, with free practice sessions cancelled, postponed and then partially held qualifying. This United States Grand Prix seemed to be the paradigm of a crazy flop, preferring other four-wheeled means in Indy or Nascar races, but the race was a crucible of emotions, a series of twists and turns where many took turns at the top, and where Hamilton realised he could become world champion with three races to spare only on lap 48 of the scheduled 56, at 15:41, 13 minutes from the finish, when his team-mate Nico Rosberg, literally shattered by the race, committed another suicide, went off the track and left him a clear path. Lewis Hamilton was waiting for nothing else; he is an excellent player who knows how to seize the moment, as he did at the start when he passed Nico Rosberg on the inside and pushed him off the track, or with patience, knowing that the German driver often makes mistakes and he almost never does.
The British driver also knows how to surprise in other ways, such as when he buys a private plane dedicated to sex, because inside, with all that space, he can comfortably flirt with his current girlfriend. He, who is seen in the company of Rihanna, immediately sparks rumours of a high-profile paparazzi love story, and then it turns out that maybe not everything is true and that he is, in any case, single again and free to go hunting, as happened in Sochi, even with the girls accompanying the start and the podium. He, the beloved Lewis, already a member of the Order of the British Empire, whom the Queen could soon make a baronet, is cold in the cockpit, ruthless, but in Austin he shows that he can also melt, when he almost cries on a table after being subjected to the weight, or when he meets his English fans in the paddock, wrapped in the Union Jack. He can also be surprised, or at least pretend to be, when he meets Elton John on the podium: the pop star is there to interview him, but it doesn't take long before Hamilton, a music lover, bombards him with questions. Elton John called him a star, and Lewis replied that it was all down to these fantastic guys.
"A team that has given me a wonderful car, thanks to which every dream is possible".
Even that of a tenth victory of the season, the 43rd of his career. Nico Rosberg, crushed by his weight, can only feel anger and envy towards his inconvenient partner, which he expresses by throwing a cap at head height. A small consolation. Greater is that of Sebastian Vettel, who secured third place from thirteenth and showed that in 2016 he can fight on equal terms with the Martian in white. A Hamilton who now deserves the whole stage:
"A crazy race, but I always believed I could do it. Driving with Senna gives me the shivers: the most beautiful thing I could ever aspire to. Seven championships like Schumacher? I don't stop running, but I live one step at a time. And he's still far away...".
The interlude was like a film: unexpectedly, Elton John appeared on the podium to pay tribute to his compatriot Hamilton. There was a brief celebration and then the music legend turned to Vettel:
"How on earth did you make this comeback? From the back to here".
So while Lewis is celebrating, there's almost the same atmosphere at Ferrari. Maurizio Arrivabene says:
"Fantastic, Sebastian. Fantastic team effort. Excellent job, too bad for Kimi who showed fantastic character to get the car across the line. Congratulations to everyone. Great team. Congratulations and see you next year".
Meanwhile, Sebastian Vettel congratulates Lewis Hamilton:
"Congratulations to Hamilton. He has done a great job all year, but we are getting closer. Hope for next year".
Lewis Hamilton on the podium at the United States Grand Prix after winning the Formula One World Championship for the third time in his career:
"I can't find the words to express how I feel. I couldn't have done it without this team that has supported me for the last three years. It's incredible, I have to thank the crowd for coming out in the rain, I hope I put on a good show for everyone. Thank you all".
Nico Rosberg finished second, but made a mistake in the final laps that allowed Hamilton to overtake him and secure the championship:
"I'm very disappointed, I don't know what happened. You were fantastic in the bad weather".
Vettel's statement was the talk of the night in Austin, while Hamilton celebrated his third world championship by inviting Elton John to the party. After the race, the disappointed German said:
"It's not nice to know you can't fight for the championship anymore. Congratulations to Lewis, but I am suffering".
Words that can be interpreted in different ways. The worst interpretation would be that the German is suffering from indigestion, annoyed by Mercedes' dominance and his inability to counter it. However, this theory is not supported by the following words:
"This year we've made a big step forward, even in Austin with the new engine, we've grown a lot, now we're very close, with Hamilton, we'll see each other next year".
An ominous sporting appointment, reiterated a few hours later by Maurizio Arrivabene, Ferrari's team principal, who isn't giving up on the current season ("We want Vettel to finish second, ahead of Rosberg, and win another race, maybe in Abu Dhabi, where the circuit suits our car"), but above all has high hopes for the next race, where the declared aim is to break the Anglo-German monopoly. Aspirations that are justified by this season's performance, with a car that has managed to improve its performance and a team that has made virtually no mistakes. In Austin, Ferrari came very close to a fourth victory of the season; Vettel believed it, and Arrivabene still regrets it three hours after the race. The harder tyres had allowed them to make one less pit stop than Mercedes, and had it not been for the Safety Car, Ferrari would have had the chance to win. In addition, there are still four tokens for engine development, the new one has allowed them not to waste any, and the interventions will help in the future championship. Maurizio Arrivabene proudly displays the arithmetic certainty of second place in the Constructors' World Championship, but this is not the paradise he was looking for. With the relationship between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg in tatters, Sebastian Vettel wants to get between them and make the definitive overtaking move in 2016. A hypothesis that Bernie Ecclestone believes in:
"Next year? Ferrari will win".
But Ferrari is also showing its will off the track, exercising its right of veto for the first time against the FIA to prevent a maximum price being set for the supply of power units and gearboxes to customer teams. The FIA has taken note and responded to the free market with a ban, which will require the FIA to find a manufacturer capable of supplying engines and gearboxes at a much lower cost for 2017, standard units available to all teams in need.