VETTEL’S TRANSFER POKER: FERRARI, MCLAREN OR WHAT?

It will be the year of the decisions. Will Sebastian Vettel stay with Ferrari or will he change colors? The fact is: Vettel’s contract with the Reds expires by the end of this season. And: According to information available to F1-Insider.com, he hasn’t made a decision yet. 

The German to AUTO BILD MOTORSPORT: “For the time being, my focus is on this year. I still love driving. But as a racer you don’t just want to drive, you want to win, of course. We are currently not doing this enough. My hunger for success hasn’t yet been satisfied. But my thinking is not about a new contract, but about solutions to make the car faster.”

It also means: Vettel doesn’t want to talk about his future yet. But he isn’t fully committed to Ferrari, either.

The fact is: EVERY racer wants to drive for Ferrari. Vettel and a title with the reds is a lifelong dream for Vettel.

His buddy Timo Glock still thinks that the discussions about #Ferrarigate and the suspicion of fraud surrounding Scuderia could have an impact on Vettel’s decision. Glock to Ran.de: “Maybe he will draw his conclusions from this. I could imagine that it could be a reason for him to say: ‘That’s it..’

Glock’s alternative: “Maybe McLaren. With Andreas Seidl, you have a German team boss …. I could imagine such a constellation. He would certainly like to have an experienced German driver on his team. ” 

It fits: McLaren driver Carlos Sainz’s contract expires. And: There were rumors from Spain in December 2019 that Vettel could replace the Spaniard at McLaren. This is usually a sign that Sainz junior is at least concerned about his job.

In addition: McLaren teamed up with Mercedes again. For Vettel that should be an exciting combination. A German with a German engine. Another insider to F1-Insider.com: “Seidl knows Vettel well from the time he spent together at BWM. If Sebastian is available, he will definitely think about a possible contract. It would also be a strong PR coup for McLaren-Mercedes. ”

According to Glock: “Whether for Valtteri Bottas or even Lewis Hamilton, only Toto Wolff knows. With Red Bull, the doors are definitely closed.”

In an interview with F1-Insider.com, Helmut Marko confirmed: “As a four-time world champion, Sebastian has certain financial demands. But since we made a long-term contract with Max Verstappen that wasn’t exactly cheap. We don’t want to afford a second heavyweight. That is, unfortunately, the case. Seb would have to do without a lot of money. But you can’t ask him to do that.”

Nevertheless: The Red Bull consultant is a strong believer of his ex-protégé: “Sebastian is a bit in the transfer trap,” he told F1-Insider.com. “Ferrari has committed itself to Leclerc, we to Max Verstappen. He can only do a great job this season – which I trust him to do if he has a car that suits his driving style. If he clearly beats Leclerc, Ferrari has back him. And then it would also be interesting for Mercedes. His German passport really shouldn’t be in the way.”

One thing is certain: Vettel has more than just an alternative for the time after 2020. A good starting point in the upcoming transfer poker.