Ferrari: three years of Vettel, the kind and passionate champion who conquered Maranello…

A snap of the fingers, a blink of an eye, and Sebastian Vettel has already been wearing the red tracksuit for three years. It seems like yesterday that November 20, 2014, the day in which Ferrari officially announced what was already known: the then Red Bull standard bearer - four world championships in his pocket - embraced the team for which he dreamed of racing, with the aim of bringing it as quickly as possible to the top following in the footsteps of his mentor Michael Schumacher.

Coming off a horrible 2014, with Fernando Alonso effectively separated at home for more than a year, the Maranello environment was overwhelmed by the enthusiasm of this German champion who was kind in his ways, but at the same time fussy and precise at work. Seb's desire to go around Fiorano with the 2012 car, to become familiar with the Ferrari universe, is memorable, and even more characteristic is the notebook that accompanied the German during the tests.

For a team that was effectively reset to zero, Vettel three years ago represented the breath of fresh air needed to start again with high morale. 2015 was the year of infatuation, of the first - beautiful - joys, three victories and a return to the top that seemed very distant after the squalid and sad 2014. In a short time the German made himself loved even by the most sceptical; riding quality and a sunny, open character, sincere celebrations and songs mentioned under the helmet. A fairy tale, however, broken by the uncertainties and technical amnesia of 2016, a year of turmoil, chaotic, which started badly and ended worse, with the Ferrari SF16-H difficult to fine-tune and in constant difficulty in using the tyres. It is there that Sebastian faltered, he peeked out of the window of the red carriage to look at the track of the Silver Arrow, he became jealous, but chose to stay, to respect an armored contract, to trust and rely, following by listening to the heart rather than to reason.

The Scuderia, for its part, was able to respond on the field, giving its leader a thoroughbred with five victories (and there's still one race to go). It's a short step from despondency to elation, and Seb the “Latin” has learned what Ferrari's tremendism is; a persistent anxiety of victory that torments and afflicts, interspersed with ephemeral joys, flights of fancy with a rainbow flavor and bitter disappointments. You hate and I love, a faith that transcends victories. A highly contagious passion, if it is true that Seb - as confirmed by Lauda himself - ignored the sirens of Stuttgart, binding himself closely to Ferrari for another three years.

Three years of Vettel. Three intense years, of joys and sorrows, of fairytale numbers, eight victories including some epic ones, but also of mistakes scattered here and there, the result of an at times overflowing competitive spirit, an uncontrolled enthusiasm to fill a gap that still exists and on which we will have to work, but with relative calm and strong nerves. Three years to get to know each other, to understand how loyal and dedicated to the cause this German champion is, how hungry and humble he is at the same time, despite being a four-time world champion already done and finished. How much he sincerely adores the Cavallino and how much he feels the weight of what he likes to define as a "mission" on his shoulders, that is, writing important sports pages here in Italy.

Three years already historic in their own way, which characterized the first cycle of a new Ferrari, capable of walking with its head held high, although there have been ups and downs. A three-year period that acts as a precursor to Vettel encore, to the useful years to consecrate himself, to beat his rival Hamilton, to reach Fangio and who knows, to transform this beautiful story into a true legend.

Antonino Rendina

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