Scuderia Ferrari officially confirmed early on Tuesday that contract talks with Sebastian Vettel broke down between the pair with no agreement, making this year the German’s last at the Maranello team.
Where the 32-year-old will go now and who will replace him at Ferrari are the big questions.
A four-time world champion, Ferrari provided him with a car to challenge at the top, however they were never able to mount a consistent threat to world champions Mercedes. Sebastian Vettel’s decision to leave the Italian marque after nearly six seasons opens the door for another driver to make a dream switch to the sport’s oldest and most glamorous team.
Renault’s Daniel Ricciardo and McLaren’s Carlos Sainz – both out of contract at the end of 2020 – have been installed as the leading candidates to take one of the most coveted seats on the grid.
Albert Fabrega, a well-known Spanish Formula 1 journalist, reports on what Scuderia Ferrari is looking for in the driver which will replace Seabstian Vettel and at the same time confirms that the Italian side’s focus is already shifting to the 2022 Formula 1 season:
“The decision had already been made. At the top of Ferrari’s list there are were Carlos Sainz, Daniel Ricciardo and Antonio Giovinazzi. In that order. All of them free at the end of the 2020 season. It will not take long to know who will wear red in 2022 next to Charles Leclerc. Ferrari wanted to be the first to move the chip and has done so. Ferrari wants and is looking for a fast, experienced, hard-working, compliant driver capable of winning and, if necessary, obeying orders. Maranello needs a future to turn the page of the hybrid era. A stage full of frustrations and mistakes. The urgency is now 2022.” – Albert Fabrega explained.
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