Sebastian Vettel vs Kimi Räikkönen

The Rivalry

Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Räikkönen lined up together at Ferrari for four seasons, from 2015 to 2018, in one of the longest-running teammate partnerships of the era. Vettel joined as the headline signing, the four-time world champion brought in to lead Ferrari back to the front, while Räikkönen — himself a former champion with the team in 2007 — settled into a clear supporting role.

From the outset Vettel established himself as the unambiguous number one. He out-qualified and out-raced Räikkönen consistently across all four years, leading Ferrari's championship challenges against Mercedes in 2017 and 2018. The Finn, while still capable of strong drives and reliable points, rarely matched Vettel's single-lap pace or sustained results.

Räikkönen frequently played the role of rear-gunner, supporting Vettel's title bids, and his solitary win during the partnership did not come until the very end, in the United States in 2018 — ending a long victory drought. By then Ferrari had already decided to replace him with Charles Leclerc for the following season.

Defining Moments

• Malaysia 2015 — Vettel won in only his second race for Ferrari, an emotional first victory for the team in red that set the tone for his leadership role.
• 2017 & 2018 title bids — Vettel mounted genuine championship challenges to Mercedes across both seasons, leading Ferrari's campaigns while Räikkönen provided support.
• United States 2018 — Räikkönen took his only win of the partnership at Austin, ending a long personal drought in what proved a farewell highlight at Ferrari.
• End of 2018 — Ferrari replaced Räikkönen with Charles Leclerc, and the Finn returned to Sauber to see out his career.

The Verdict

This was a comprehensive win for Vettel, who dominated the qualifying and race head-to-heads and out-scored Räikkönen by a wide margin across all four seasons. Räikkönen remained a popular and dependable teammate, but he was firmly the number two throughout. The single win he managed against Vettel's fourteen during the period tells the story of a partnership defined by a clear order.