Formula 1: Drive to Survive (2019) s03e04 Episode Script

We Need to Talk About Ferrari

1 So, this is the helmet that I will race in this year's Italian Grand Prix.
The best feature about this helmet for this weekend is thatI will be able to take my mask off as soon as I'm wearing the helmet.
- That's it.
- Okay.
We cannot be too funny considering the performance after Belgium.
- Says who? - We.
Because I think you should be funny if you look at our performance.
So, is that the credo for this weekend, "Don't laugh"? - No! - No jokes? Enzo Ferrari said, "Ask a child to draw a car and they'll color it red.
" I think that's all you need to know about Ferrari.
It's everyone's understanding of what a racing car is.
Formula 1 is synonymous with Ferrari.
They're the oldest-standing team.
Arguably one of the biggest brands in the world.
They're the most iconic team in Formula 1.
A lot of drivers' dream is to drive for Ferrari.
Seven World Championship titles.
Ferrari enjoys a status that no other team holds.
They use that to its strength.
Not again! But sometimes it bites them.
Ah, it's so frustrating! We are outperforming Ferrari.
Oh, come on! They aren't as competitive as they normally are.
Ferrari have Leclerc 13th, Sebastian Vettel 14th.
I'll hang in there, but you know that you've messed up.
The Ferrari engine power is just not there.
Charles Leclerc absolutely plumb last.
The feeling of Ferrari right now is one of huge question marks.
What a miserable season.
Will they ever regain the form of old? I know what it feels like to be running a team when you're in the shit.
But I didn't have a whole lot of sympathy.
It's going to be a disaster.
Um, can we talk a little bit about the season so far? It's been pretty difficult, right? Um Why? We don't have that much time and, uh, yeah, to be honest Next question! It's a very speedy hello from the fastest circuit of them all.
We're here in Monza for round eight of the Formula 1 World Championship in 2020.
It is the Italian Grand Prix.
Grazie.
Netflix again? Oh my God.
From where do you fly? LA? No, I fly JFK.
I fly Charlotte, JFK, JFK, London.
I come private if you want a lift? - Where do you leave from? - Guadalajara.
Their rooms can't be smaller than ours.
Ferrari had bad seasons in the past, as well as this year.
Yes, we are in a difficult moment, but Monza is a very historic Grand Prix.
Obviously, being in Italy, it's, uh, the one which counts.
- Is everything okay? - Yes, fine.
Let me say, you may lose a season, but if you are winning Monza, at least you have saved your season.
I am going to read out some of the media questions.
- Yes.
- This is a question from Vanzini.
What is the key word right now? What do you suggest? Well, the same as always.
No, I think determination is better.
Yes, I would say we have a lot of determination.
- More than usual.
- Yes.
Certainly, we understand that it's a very difficult moment, but I think that the frustrations we've got, um, we need to transform that into determination.
- Ciao.
- Buongiorno.
Buongiorno.
A difficult weekend for you to arrive back here in Italy.
How do you keep the expectations realistic for this weekend? Uh, certainly, uh, we know what we need to improve.
I think there is no doubt.
What's important is to stay focused and really to try to work very hard and to transform any frustration into determination.
You feel for Ferrari, going into their homeland with nothing to show.
They have to try and find some redemption.
They have to find something to pin this season on.
Do you think it will be a bit like last year? Hopefully, it's got as bad as it's gonna get.
I think it will be a mess.
- Looking good? - As always.
Uh, can you just turn upside down your mask? This is not to be filmed, but you got "Ferrari" upside down, which is okay, but maybe at best to put it - There you are.
- That's better? - The filter.
- Yeah, the filter needs to be They are tricky.
Okay, now, first of all, welcome, everybody, to Italy.
Uh, now, first point, please wear your mask all the time.
As usual, this is really important.
Mask? No mask? My name is Sebastian Vettel, racing for Scuderia Ferrari.
No mask.
Wow.
Brave.
No mask.
Don't look at your mobile during media activity.
I'm telling you this because the media have come up to us saying, "Don't do it, you know, it doesn't look good," so just be focused on what you're doing and please don't look at your mobile.
That's four post-races that I'm not speaking at all.
I'm watching the phone, but don't have any questions.
I know, but it doesn't look good.
Hi, I'm Charles Leclerc, driving for Scuderia Ferrari.
Um, I have a contract until 2024 with the team and I started in Formula 1 two years ago.
Even if you're not talking, you should show interest in what Sebastian is saying, so, just I am showing interest.
But he is repeating, uh, the same It's always the same question, so I know the answer.
Okay, okay, but still.
Wait another ten years, then you'll see.
There's no hope for you on this.
Okay.
Uh, now, the first point, Charles I think that Seb is a very experienced four-times world champion, but I think even for Seb, it's always a continuous learning process.
Charles is very young.
He is very fast.
He is very consistent.
He is good in battling, defending, attacking.
So, in order to develop our team for this season, there is not a number-one driver in Ferrari.
Hello.
Hello.
Morning, Charles and Seb.
How are you guys? Good, thank you.
Right, let's get cracking.
We've got some brilliant fans here who, uh, are dying to - Hello.
- The connection has gone.
- Really? - Yes.
Uh, cut Zoom.
- Go out, okay? Go out of Zoom.
- The problem is the connection.
- But to make this work.
- It's coming.
- Hello! - Is it better? Yes.
For now, it looks good.
It's a difficult year for Ferrari.
Not just on track, also off track.
Amazing modern technology.
Okay, Esther, go again.
What was your question? Okay, so, Charles, when will you launch your clothing collection? Oh! Uh, well, at the end, for now, it's on standby.
Uh, it's something I really wanted to do and it's something that I think I will keep in mind for the future.
- What's the collection? - It was like full clothing.
- Like, a full collection.
- Ah.
He's not allowed.
That's why it's not happening.
'Cause we have a We have a partner.
So, he was told off.
I I I'm not supposed to say that, but I'm leaving at the end of the year, so I can say what I want, you know? It is clear that I will not be a part of this team beyond this year.
I was surprised when I got the call that the team does not want to continue.
Seb has been with us a few years already.
I think we all love Seb because he's part of our family, but, uh, we felt the necessity to, to look ahead, to look forward.
It's like trying to create foundations for our long-term future.
For Ferrari to announce so publicly that Sebastian Vettel's leaving the team, I think, is a clear state of intention of what they want for the future.
Charles Leclerc.
That's a pretty toxic environment for a man who's a four-times world champion.
Would it make you insecure? For sure, it's tough.
Obviously, I care a lot about the sport.
It's a big part of my life and therefore, you know, I asked myself a lot of questions about what I want to do in the future.
I think that Sebastian was left very hurt by the way in which his departure from the team came about.
The fact that the negotiations hadn't been anywhere near as lengthy, shall we say, as we'd been led to believe.
I heard that telling him so early would have created a lot of difficulties.
But I think whatever were the concerns people were raising were the wrong concerns.
Ferrari! Ferrari! Ferrari! Ferrari! Ferrari! Ferrari is just special.
It has always been special for me.
Go on, Charles! Go on, Charles! From being a child, I was always looking at the red car, and, uh, it has always been a dream to be a driver for, for them.
- Hey, guys.
- Thank you, Charles.
You're number one, bro! Over winter, Ferrari gave Charles Leclerc a contract extension, the likes of which had never been seen.
Go on, you're the best! Not even Schumacher got a five-year contract extension and Charles did, which shows just how important Charles had become to their future.
- Did you sleep well? - Very well.
Well, it still feels amazing to know that, um, I have the longest contract in the history of Scuderia Ferrari and to know that we will be working for such a long time and to be building something special together.
Go on Charles, Ferrari! Hello, thank you.
- Go on, you're the best! - Kick his ass! Hi, guys.
Thanks.
Hello.
Hi.
I'm sorry.
- Let's see what today has in store.
- Let's see.
Now, from the Temple of Speed, Monza's national autodrome, it's time for Qualifying with 20 of the best drivers in the world.
Today, Red Bull hope to interrupt an endless stream of pole positions for the German team.
And Ferrari are simply hoping somehow to find their way into the top ten.
Expectations are difficult to have this season because it's unpredictable, the results, but it is a very special race for us, so, uh, we have to do well.
But yeah, it's not going to be easy.
Morale is tough, obviously.
The team is certainly not on a high.
But I think everybody's trying to do their most to make sure that we still get the best out of the car.
Qualifying's important.
It determines your starting position on the grid.
The fewer people that start ahead of you, the fewer people you've got to overtake to win on Sunday.
Don't send me in too much traffic.
Copy.
This is the two Ferrari cars.
Seb overtook me.
I don't understand why I went out in front of him.
Was he not meant to overtake Charles? Was Charles meant to be ahead of him? Have Ferrari got things a little bit mixed up? All happy families down at Ferrari.
Mode charge.
Mode charge.
Track is clear behind.
There's a pressure on Charles Leclerc's shoulders, the man, of course, who was on pole position here last year.
- The car is so hard to drive.
- Copy.
Understood.
We aren't doing well on the long runs.
So difficult.
Ah, fuck's sake.
At the moment, you are P11.
We are so slow.
There's nothing Leclerc can do.
He doesn't have enough prancing horses down the front straight.
Charles Leclerc across the line.
Only 13th on the grid.
Thirteen, unlucky for some.
Best I can do.
The best I can do.
The real concern is that's their true pace.
Any cars around me? No, we are in a good slot.
Hamilton 3.
3 in front.
Constant speed 200.
There was a chance to do better here.
For info, there's a big traffic jam out there.
Let's talk about it after.
Look.
This is the kind of traffic we were hoping they'd avoid.
If you need to overtake people, we will.
A similar queue to that you had on your way back from holiday.
Vettel can't fight back.
The Ferrari engine power isn't there.
Is there a gap I can get through? Too much traffic.
It will be mode push for last corner.
Mode push.
What is going on out there on this Saturday afternoon? Sebastian Vettel, he's in the bottom five at the moment, crosses the line in a few moments, Sebastian Vettel.
Uh, we see Vettel pitting.
He's pitted.
He's not going to improve his time.
Ferrari just weren't ready.
What has happened to them this year? Shit.
What a mess.
And the big headline news here at Monza is that Sebastian Vettel is knocked out in qualifying.
It's Ferrari, P17.
- I guess that's it.
- Yeah, it is.
P17.
Not quite the Ferrari of old here in Monza, is it? Thirteenth and 17th on the grid.
Ferrari's worst fears in qualifying have been confirmed.
How frustrating is it that you win from pole position here last year and then down to this position? That must be heavy for you.
Yeah.
I mean, it's tough because once you do a good lap and then you do P13, it doesn't feel good, and, uh, yeah, I mean, it hurts even more once it's at home, but it's a reality at the moment for us, unfortunately.
Seb, you didn't finish your second run.
No.
I was in the middle of the mess, so there was no point to do it.
Yeah.
That's what it was, a very short day.
You can call it frustration, but at the end of the day, on power, we are probably worse off than we were last year and the unsatisfying, most unsatisfying bit is that you didn't get to prove to yourself, "Okay, what could I do today?" You know, how close to the top or how far up could I have gone? - The pole's above your head.
- What? You have a mic above your head.
But yeah, it's not easy.
I don't know how it will be tomorrow.
- Well, yeah, look at Vettel.
- Yeah.
He didn't do the last lap.
It's okay, they can't read our lips.
No, but be careful, you have a mic above your head.
We missed many opportunities.
Certainly the pressure was there.
Obviously, the car is not as good as we would have wished.
I think Seb's got some difficulties with the car.
Lack of confidence.
And Charles' car was not performing.
No grip, so, you know, difficult to really be fast around the lap.
So, we had a poor quali, very poor.
It's a tough time for Ferrari.
There's been a lot of mudslinging, a lot of accusations regarding the "secret settlement.
" I was wondering how you cope with that? Honestly, I think there is a lot of bullshit around it.
- Yeah.
- A lot of rumors.
It's very simple.
There have been never a breach of regulations.
Leclerc's on the inside, Hamilton goes onto the gravel, and you can hear the cheers from Monza.
The Ferrari fans loved it.
Ferrari came out of the break last year firing on all cylinders.
Charles Leclerc won in Spa.
He wins in Monza.
They basically built a car with a rocket ship in the back of it.
Ferrari coming on strong in the second part of this season.
They were going so fast that nobody could quite believe it.
Vettel is going for it.
The Ferrari's speed is giving Hamilton a lot to think about.
Ferrari have won three races in a row.
Well, we highlighted certain things to the FIA, together with Mercedes, that that we felt that they should be looking at.
The other teams couldn't work out exactly how or what, but they knew something was up.
All of a sudden, in Austin, we got rumblings of a technical directive all about fuel flow coming from the FIA, which is basically a rule clarification, that says you can, you cannot do this.
I tell you who's on their back foot, you've got to say Charles Leclerc, just trying to get a handle on this car.
Let me know if you can faster, question.
I don't think I can.
And then no power.
Vettel can barely keep up, he's so slow down the straight.
How was that? Shit.
Uh, that's how I call that.
I really don't know what happened.
I think there was really something weird.
Ferrari is coming under fire because allegedly, they have been gaining an advantage with their engine.
The other teams are not happy about it.
They did conduct an investigation, came to a conclusion, reached a settlement with Ferrari, but aren't disclosing the details of that.
We were surprised at the statement from the FIA.
We're pushing for full disclosure of that.
The FIA haven't found the team guilty of any specific wrongdoing.
Are you disappointed then that they didn't clear the team? I trust my team to do the right things and we trust the FIA to do their job.
I fully trust my team uh, and I trust the FIA for making sure everything was okay, so for me, yes, it's, uh, it's done, and now I look to the future.
They don't have the power that they had before, that's clear, and they don't seem to be in a happy place at the moment.
From the outside, not knowing why the deal was secret, it looks like Ferrari had an unfair advantage that the FIA took away.
People say, "Why you don't change engine supplier?" I think that is not what I call reality.
Going forward, we are staying with Ferrari, even if, in the moment it isn't I mean, uh, uh easy They helped us a lot in the beginning, so now, we need to help them and be loyal and and a little bit patient.
When you look at the relative performance from last year to this year, I think it's self-explanatory.
Some team principals have suggested that the 2019 car or engine wasn't legal.
Honestly, I don't think there is much to add.
The point is closed.
This is a beautiful day in Monza as we prepare for round eight of the Formula 1 World Championship.
I'm having a romantic conversation with my girlfriend.
You can't record this.
You have to go back to 1984 as the last time two Ferraris started outside the top ten at their home Grand Prix.
Test Vettel mic.
Test, one, two.
I want to see how far I can dig.
- Yeah.
Okay, cool.
- See what we get.
2020, for Sebastian and Ferrari, it just hasn't quite clicked, it hasn't quite meshed.
Okay.
Okay.
We can see you now.
Perfetto.
There is no way that a Ferrari should be 17th They are coming from there.
They are just there now, so if you want to film them or that Sebastian Vettel is that far off.
Seb's a four-time world champion and one of the most ruthless, brilliantly effective racing drivers that I've ever seen.
How are you? - Good.
- Good.
Good.
You don't lose that ability overnight.
Seb, um, I think you're a very morally guided person.
I think you have a good heart and a good direction.
Well, I think you have to have your principles, so I think, uh, yes, as much as I want to succeed and I want myself to have success rather than others, I play by certain rules.
And, you know, one of those rules are I have to be fair, and if being successful means that I have to break these rules, then it wouldn't feel right.
It's like cheating, in the end, and you are cheating yourself, so Do you think everyone plays to the same rules that you do? I can't answer.
Take control of it yourself.
- Should be your decision.
- Yeah.
- You know? - It is.
- You're still young enough.
- Yeah.
Seb leaving Ferrari, what's going on there? Just take a moment to pause.
- And then come home.
- Exactly.
All right.
See you later.
Yeah, it's, I'm sure, a question that you'll be asking him.
Sebastian Vettel is out of a seat.
He has nowhere to go.
Up and down the paddock, everybody was trying to work out what was he gonna do.
Would he leave Formula 1? Would he find another team? Sebastian is a great personality who, uh, shaped the last ten years in Formula 1.
Simply the fact that Sebastian's available is worth the discussion.
Frankly, I'm good friends with Seb.
I knew him from before he was a Formula 1 driver and, uh, for a very long time.
He's still a young man and very talented.
It'd be, uh, a shame not to see him on the grid next season.
I remember Sebastian Vettel, when he was driving for us, came from more than 40 points behind to beat Fernando Alonso to the 2012 World Championship.
We don't write anything off.
Literally anything can happen.
Let's hope he doesn't lose motivation.
Yes, we need to keep him focused.
As a team principal, my challenge certainly is make sure that the external comments are not affecting the morale of the team.
It was a very difficult quali.
Uh, I understand the disappointment of the people around, but more important to stay focused.
Okay.
Back of the grid.
And radio check.
Yeah.
One, two, radio check okay.
Ah, it's not the first time I started at the back of the grid.
I believe that there's always a chance.
Sunday, when you stand on the grid, even if you're not in a great position, you never know what happens.
If you are racing in P10 and the nine cars in front of you retire, you win the race.
Ferrari's not so good in the straight.
- Unbelievable! - Fucking hell.
And radio check, Charles.
To be honest, I think it would be a mistake for me to put extra pressure because I'm driving for Ferrari.
Radio check.
Can you hear me? What I have to do in this situation is to try and maximize what I have.
Radio check.
Whoa.
Wasn't plugged in.
No problem.
When I close the visor, I try to extract all of those thoughts to be 100% focused on the goal.
I think emotion was going up.
The pressure was there.
No doubt.
Because we knew that Monza was important for us.
And we're underway for the Italian Grand Prix at Monza.
Great getaway for Lewis Hamilton.
Up to second place goes Carlos Sainz.
Bottas down to third.
Charles Leclerc is losing a position to Kimi RäikkÃnen.
Alex Albon getting it all wrong in that first chicane and losing places as a result.
Charles Leclerc on the inside of Kimi RäikkÃnen, looking for a gap.
That soon disappears.
Any feedback on the starts? You are P13.
P13.
Lap five of 53.
Hamilton's lead is three seconds over the McLaren of Carlos Sainz in second place.
Here's Vettel.
Russell, 0.
7 behind.
Copy.
Sebastian Vettel who's still down in 17th, under pressure.
DRS enabled.
Vettel does not have DRS.
Yeah, copy.
And we are very hot on the left-hand side of the brakes.
Rear left.
Russell, 0.
5 behind.
Distance! Here comes George Russell.
Vett has smoking from behind.
I'm not sure if he's dropping oil.
- Something wrong, the rear left.
- Copy.
You need to cool down the rears if you can.
They've got a problem with the car.
They've got Russell trying to get past him.
Vettel can't slow it down! Brakes failed.
The brakes failed.
Brakes failed.
Oh God! Brake fire.
The brakes are on fire.
No more brake pedal.
Brake line exploded.
I can bring the car back if you want.
We're always in the middle of any crisis.
End of the day for Vettel, who's leaving Ferrari at the end of the season.
His last race as a Ferrari driver at Monza and he's out on lap eight of 53.
A torturous Italian Grand Prix for the Scuderia.
They'll hope this is as bad as it's going to be for them at their home ground.
For Seb, it has been certainly frustrating.
It's the most important race of the season and I think that whoever is a Ferrari driver, the dream is to win in Monza.
And it is lap 24 of this Italian Grand Prix.
Ferrari is passion and you can feel it.
It's just unbelievable and you don't get that anywhere else on the grid.
Gap to RäikkÃnen in front, 0.
6.
Copy.
It's our job now to get back to, uh, to winning.
Leclerc's putting RäikkÃnen under pressure behind Antonio Giovinazzi He's got past RäikkÃnen.
He might clear two Alfas in about 300 meters here.
And he does! Charles Leclerc picks off RäikkÃnen and picks off Giovinazzi as well.
Fantastico! Leclerc may have lost speed.
He hasn't lost any bravery and commitment, has he? Confidence in Formula 1, I think, is everything because if you are not confident in your car or your abilities, then you are going to struggle.
We need to close the gap.
We need to close the gap now.
We are not where we expected to be.
We are not where we want to be.
Try to maximize full throttle.
I'm I'm struggling, guys.
But still, my goal is the same, to try to put the car on its limit.
Are you okay? Charles? Can you hear me? Ah Fuck! It was very extreme.
I can remember everything apart from the hit itself.
I think there's a bit of a blackout for a few seconds.
The hit was pretty hard.
Everything happened, uh, very, very quickly and then, unfortunately, puts all our hopes to the bin.
I'm sorry, but I Honestly, I struggled so much with the balance.
Fuck! Sorry.
Copy.
Main thing is that you're okay.
And go to P0, please, P0.
Leclerc hauls himself out of the car.
It was a long way through the corner for that to be a brake problem like Vettel's.
Let's see what did happen.
He's on his own coming into the Parabolica.
And he just lost it on the power on the hard tires, and driver error.
What a horrible, horrible Italian Grand Prix for the Scuderia.
How bad a result was this for Ferrari? It was one of the most horrible weekends they've had in a very long time.
It's a huge fall from grace for Ferrari because this is a team that should be fighting Mercedes and yet, they cannot compete with anybody.
It was a difficult weekend which concluded even in the worst way.
Obviously, we are all unhappy and disappointed.
It's poor, obviously, where we are, especially here, for our home race.
It's probably a blessing there's nobody in the stand.
We are very united.
I don't think there are even tensions inside the team.
There are no shortcuts in life.
We are in this position because we probably deserve to be.
I think that I can feel the team behind me.
Very committed.
Now, it's down to us to to prove that we are capable.
Welcome to the second Italian race of the season and a milestone in motor racing.
Ferrari's 1000th Grand Prix.
And they're preparing to celebrate in style.
Ferrari has been always there since the very start.
Never stopping since 1950 when the F1 started.
I think whatever difficulties we've got at the moment, it's important to celebrate because we are celebrating an entire history and a fantastic milestone.
And if you've got such a history, somehow you are special.
This is Ferrari's 1000th race.
The party, the displays.
They are a huge, huge corporation, making millions of pounds.
This is the time to shine.
As the sun rises on a beautiful Tuscan morning, news that Sebastian Vettel has signed for Aston Martin.
Seb, we understand you didn't even put pen to paper until last night.
For me, it was important that I sign up for something I believe in.
Today, it's been announced that I'll have a seat, I'll be on the grid next year.
I'm looking forward to a new challenge.
I'm a competitor, so if I wasn't convinced that I can be competitive with Aston Martin, I think, uh, you know, life is treating me far too good uh, to drag on and to keep suffering.
Bonjour.
Okay, well, of course, the big news we all know now that Sebastian has a seat and a team for next year and beyond.
And beyond? - Big news this morning.
- Good.
Good to have you around.
We have done a post for you, saying Yeah, I saw, thank you.
Yeah.
Thank you, Silvia.
No, not "Thank you, Silvia," it's all of us.
Now, uh, in terms of the, um, timing of the announcement, Sebastian.
We had quite a lot of people say, "Sebastian, you know, announced this on this day," and everything.
Of course, we believe it was triggered by last night's announcement from Perez, which came out so late.
It was obviously a last-minute thing, so this is our position when we get asked.
- Yeah.
It's the truth as well.
- Okay.
The timing probably tells you everything.
He probably couldn't have picked a more inappropriate time for the team, but I guess he was pissed off.
So, on my side, I have, uh, um, some Information about Saturday evening, the event that we will have in Firenze.
It's mandatory, guys, to be sharp because we will have a lot of important Ferrari family guests there, so we cannot really be late.
It kind of takes the shine off Ferrari's big celebration, but it puts the focus back on Sebastian.
I think Sebastian Vettel feels that with Racing Point, which will become Aston Martin next year, he can build this team up to be incredible.
The future now is very exciting.
My number one ambition is to be at the front of the grid, fight for something worth fighting for and have fun and enjoy.
I think Ferrari has always proved to be capable of reacting to the difficulties.
Uh, we know that we need to turn that into determination.
We are still investing in the future, committed to creating solid foundations.
My job is to help the team.
Miracles don't happen in Formula 1, so we need to stay focused on what we do.
I believe that if we continue to work step by step in the right direction, we'll manage to be in a much better position for next year.
Ferrari is a legendary brand.
Ferrari have always been part of motor racing.
Ferrari is somehow unique, and Ferrari is a family.
And being a family, somehow, it's a passion.
We are a great team and we will develop the right car.
That's what makes me confident that we can certainly do better in the future.
The big news of the week is that Ricciardo is on his way to McLaren.
Is Cyril talking to you yet? With the breakup, I am emotional.
It's like being dumped by a girlfriend, but she hasn't moved out the house yet.
Pierre's confidence has completely transformed.
I wanted to prove myself as a driver.
I deserve to go back to Red Bull.
Fuck yes! Haas's problems continue.
In a season like this, small mistakes have big consequences.
If you're not good enough, you will be spat out.

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