F1: Vettel leaving Ferrari at the end of 2020: what does this all mean..?

Four-times Formula 1 World Champion Sebastian Vettel is to leave Ferrari at the end of the year after contract talks broke down between the sides over a future deal.

The German driver has been with the Italian outfit since 2015 and in that time scored 14 race victories and finished in the top three in the championship in three of his five seasons with the Scuderia.

But entering his sixth season, this will be Vettel’s last at the Italian outfit, and after falling way short of beating Hamilton and Mercedes, this may be the end of the road for his F1 career.

But in annoucning that he would be leaving Ferrari, Sebastian Vettel said that the decision had been one made mutually, but stressed that financial matters played no part in his decision.

He said: “My relationship with Scuderia Ferrari will finish at the end of 2020. In order to get the best possible results in sport, it is vital for all parties to work in perfect harmony. The team and I have realised that there is no longer a common desire to stay beyond the end of this season.

“What’s been happening in these past few months has led many of us to reflect on what are our real priorities in life.

“I myself will take the time I need to reflect on what really matters when it comes to my future.

“Scuderia Ferrari occupies a special place in Formula 1 and I hope it gets all the success it deserves. Finally, I want to thank the whole Ferrari family and above all its “tifosi” all around the world, for the support they have given me over the years. My immediate goal is to finish my long stint with Ferrari, in the hope of sharing some more beautiful moments together, to add to all those we have enjoyed so far.”

This marks the end of the chapter with Vettel at Ferrari after a frustrating past couple of seasons after running Hamilton fairly close in 2018 before the Briton clinched the title three races early in Mexico.

Then in 2019, Vettel was comprehensively outshone by his young upstart team-mate Charles Leclerc who took Ferrari’s first victory at the Italian GP in Monza since Fernando Alonso’s famous win in 2010.

For Vettel, not being able to win the Italian GP in a Ferrari is a fact that has to hurt almost to the same degree as not being able to win a world championship for the prancing horse despite winning the race in 2011 and 2013 for Red Bull.

But after a few years where the relationship between Vettel and Ferrari has been fracturing, he has now decided to call it quits.

Ferrari Team Principal Mattia Binotto said: “This is a decision taken jointly by ourselves and Sebastian, one which both parties feel is for the best. It was not an easy decision to reach, given Sebastian’s worth as a driver and as a person. There was no specific reason that led to this decision, apart from the common and amicable belief that the time had come to go our separate ways in order to reach our respective objectives.

“Sebastian is already part of the Scuderia’s history, with his 14 Grands Prix wins making him the third most successful driver for the team, while he is also the one who has scored the most points with us. In our five years together, he has finished in the top three of the Drivers’ Championship three times, making a significant contribution to the team’s constant presence in the top three of the Constructors’ classification.

“On behalf of everyone at Ferrari, I want to thank Sebastian for his great professionalism and the human qualities he has displayed over these five years, during which we shared so many great moments. We have not yet managed to win a world title together, which would be a fifth for him, but we believe that we can still get a lot out of this unusual 2020 season.”

For Vettel, joining Ferrari in 2015 was to try and emulate his hero Michael Schumacher by winning at least one world title with Ferrari, so to leave without getting close to realising that ambition will badly hurt in as he embarks on his next journey.

Now there are two questions to be asked: what path will Vettel chose next; another seat in F1? Other racing? or retirement? And secondly, who will replace the German?

For the first question, a lot is unknown about Vettel’s intentions. But should he want to continue in F1 he will have to respond fast to whatever Ferrari decides with possible seats at both McLaren and Renault as both Carlos Sainz Jr and Daniel Ricciardo are strong candidates to replace the German.

Also, Valtteri Bottas and Lewis Hamilton are both out of contract at the end of the season leaving huge question marks about who Mercedes will chose going forward.

But from Vettel’s comments, it looks more likely than not that this could well be the end of the road in F1 for the German after over 13 wonderful seasons in the sport.

At the same time, who knows what might happen when racing gets underway in what is set to be a very dynamic driver market for 2021.

For Vettel’s replacement, the driver in pole position seems to be McLaren’s Carlos Sainz Jr after the Spaniard was by far and away the best driver in the midfield and claimed his first podium finish at the Brazilian GP last year.

After a fraught time inside the Red Bull Academy, it would be fitting for the Spaniard to get a shot at Ferrari and alongside Charles Leclerc would a mouthwatering prospect.

Other candidates include Daniel Riccardo who after moving from Red Bull to Renault last year will be looking for a way back to a top team and Alfa Romeo’s Antonio Giovinazzi will also be in the mix.

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