Lewis Hamilton has vehemently denied any possibility of him leaving Mercedes to join Ferrari but the Italian F1 team have already begun listing other potential replacements for Sebastian Vettel, as the four-time world champion has not yet agreed to a one-year extension on his current contract with Ferrari.
Negotiations may have likely stalled due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic but, with several drivers out of contract at the end of 2020, the race will soon be on to snap up the best available.
Ferrari have struggled over the years to build a car capable of challenging Mercedes at the front of the grid, but some rumours had suggested Hamilton was considering leaving the current world champions to potentially replace Sebastian Vettel in a move which would shake up the paddock. Ferrari are seemingly prepared to stick with Sebastian Vettel, but reports have claimed that the German driver has rejected the Maranello team’s first contract proposal, a one-year deal on a significantly reduced salary.
The German is said to be holding out for a two-year contract and is reluctant to give up so much of his current £36 million-a-year deal. Charles Leclerc recently signed a huge five-year deal with Ferrari which reportedly sees him earning close to £9million-a-year and The Prancing Horse are supposedly hoping Vettel will accept a deal close to what the 22-year-old is on.
Negotiations could likely go on for months, particularly with teams unable to meet due to the coronavirus outbreak.
But according to Italian outlet La Gazetta dello Sport Ferrari have set their budget at £11m for Vettel’s contract. According to reports in Italian media, Ferrari have drawn up a list of three candidates – Daniel Ricciardo, Carlos Sainz and Antonio Giovinazzi – to replace Sebastian Vettel if the four-time world champion fails to agree to a one-year extension on a significantly reduced salary.
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