It was an emotional moment for Ferrari, as Sebastian Vettel saw the chequered flag one last time for the Maranello-based outfit. As the German crossed the finish line, he took to his team radio to thank his race engineer and his entire pit crew, who traveled with him since his entry into the team.

Following the chequered flag, Vettel’s race engineer, Riccardo Adami, appreciated the 4-time world champion for his incredible effort in the scarlet overalls.

“A big thank you for all the hard work in all these years together. You brought us a lot. It’s been a pleasure. A great driver. Un grande Uomo con un grande cuore,” he said.

Vettel responded with the classic two words. “Grazie Ragazzi“. Vettel added, “Grazie. Ho una sorpresa, aspetta.”

Following the exchange of words, the German let his emotions out by singing in Italian. Unsurprisingly, he also thanked his entire crew as he drove his Ferrari into the pits one final time.

Vettel joined Ferrari back in 2015. Although he lost his plot a bit following Charles Leclerc’s onboarding, he still displayed an applaudable drive at Abu Dhabi Grand Prix to prove that he is still in good touch.

How the race panned out for Sebastian Vettel

Vettel crossed the line in P14. However, his results don’t really show his incredible drive in the race. For quite a lot of laps, the German was in the Top-10, as he went on to do a massive stint on the Hards.

He defended well against Racing Point’s Lance Stroll, who was on fresher tires. Eventually, he ended up creating a huge train with Pierre Gasly, and Esteban Ocon joining the party.

Vettel drove his car into the pits at the right time, and a late charge was always on cards from the German. Unfortunately, his tires never really got to life, as graining turned out to be a major headache for Vettel. Consequently, he struggled to push his car and ended up finishing behind his teammate.

Overall, that is the end of an era for Vettel as he sets up to start a new chapter in his book with Aston Martin, currently running under the Racing Point banner.

Can Sebastian Vettel return stronger for the 2021 season and mount a challenge for podiums more frequently?