Ferrari and Vettel to Part Company at the End of 2020 Season

[McLaren]

Don't know why people think Bottas would even consider it. There had been stories that Bottas doesn't want to just play second fiddle and wants a legitimate shot at pursuing a title. That's not going to be accomplished any easier going to Ferrari (probably be worse), & he'd be dealing with team that struggles to be as smoothly run as Mercedes.

 

[CarreraGT]

Bring on Danny Ric!

 

[Liquid]

Two exceptionally fast drivers in 1 team at Ferrari, reminiscent of Hamilton/Alonso. 👍

Which went brilliantly, much like Prost and Senna as teammates.

 

[Cornpuffs26]

Isnt Hamilton contract up at the end of this season? He said he’s interested in ferrari, he also basically said it all depends on what Toto Wolff does if he’s coming back to Mercedes or not. If Wolff takes a higher position if F1 I can see Hamilton going for Ferrari, also depends how Ferrari cars will perform in 2020. It’s definitely a real possibility that Hamilton could join Ferrari

 

[McLaren]

Isnt Hamilton contract up at the end of this season? He said he’s interested in ferrari, he also basically said it all depends on what Toto Wolff does if he’s coming back to Mercedes or not. If Wolff takes a higher position if F1 I can see Hamilton going for Ferrari, also depends how Ferrari cars will perform in 2020. It’s definitely a real possibility that Hamilton could join Ferrari

Seems like a rehash of the Nico era though, as Charles is obviously the #1 going forward. I don't think Charles wants that potential drama, either. If Toto were to walk, I wouldn't be surprised if Lewis hung it up altogether. He's done enough to be compared to the greats & cemented his place in the sport.

 

[Rangeraus]

Some might disagree but I am not convinced on Sainz.

Regarding teammates he was beaten by Verstappen, then beaten by Hulkenberg. He beat Norris last year who was a rookie (and to be honest I am not quite sure about him either).

On paper Ricciardo is much better choice.

 

[NotThePrez]

Isnt Hamilton contract up at the end of this season? He said he’s interested in ferrari, he also basically said it all depends on what Toto Wolff does if he’s coming back to Mercedes or not. If Wolff takes a higher position if F1 I can see Hamilton going for Ferrari, also depends how Ferrari cars will perform in 2020. It’s definitely a real possibility that Hamilton could join Ferrari

At this point, the only way Hamilton leaves Merc is if the team shuts down. Hamilton's said that every driver "dreams" of racing for Ferrari, but Mercedes has given him a boatload of success, and he is quite clearly very attached to his team. Hell, he's on the cusp of matching Schumacher's title record, and will likely beat his win record too. I can't see Ferrari getting anywhere close to that level of performance in the near future.

 

[Famine]

Isnt Hamilton contract up at the end of this season? He said he’s interested in ferrari, he also basically said it all depends on what Toto Wolff does if he’s coming back to Mercedes or not. If Wolff takes a higher position if F1 I can see Hamilton going for Ferrari, also depends how Ferrari cars will perform in 2020. It’s definitely a real possibility that Hamilton could join Ferrari

The problem any top driver will have moving teams right now isn't 2020, but 2021 and 2022.

Thanks to the... "contagion", the plans for a whole new ruleset in 2021 have been pushed back to 2022. The 2020 cars will now also be the 2021 cars (I have no idea how McLaren is going to repackage the MCL35 for the Mercedes engines next year from the Renault engines this year) with some mild revisions and upgrades, and the 2021 cars - which were well underway in terms of development, and are now frozen from March 28 until December 31 - will debut in 2022 and not seven months from now.

That means that any driver who wants that title will firstly want to see how the 2020 car performs before he's stuck with it for a year in 2021, and then he'll have input on a car that's already had two-three months of development time rather than getting involved from the get-go. I don't know if the new regs are intended to be multi-year either (it wouldn't surprise me, as cutting development costs is a goal of the new regs), but if so the driver wouldn't end up driving a car that's truly their own until 2024.

Hamilton moved to Mercedes because Mercedes built the team and car around him. He won't get to do that at Ferrari until 2023/4, and with Leclerc now in the #1 role he may not get to do it at all.

Ricciardo can drive Vettel-developed cars - we saw that when he hosed Vettel in the 2014 season. Whether Ferrari is likely to go to a driver who is quick enough to challenge (and clash with) Leclerc... I don't know. It might be sensible and pick up a fast, capable driver who's a couple of tenths slower, to act in the Barrichello/Massa role and hoover up those championship points - like Giovinazzi (who also has the benefit of being Italian).

 

[uwrecker]

Ferrari don´t worry your savior is here.

 

[ScottPuss20]

The idea of Ricciardo going to Ferrari doesn't sit well with me at all. Ferrari have put their eggs in one basket, and will give Leclerc every opportunity to win the championship. There were some truly embarrassing moments with Vettel and I don't think Ferrari will want a repeat of that. Having two number 1 drivers does lead to some fireworks, which could compromise the driver's and constructor's championships. What Ferrari need is a reliable second driver who will get results for the team and not risk their car.

 

[Betty blue]

It's disturbing that Vettel is been treated with a widespread disrespect! Often gets an overblown reaction unlike some media darling drivers. He's by far the most disrespected driver and it's worryingly to a very down to earth person and the 3rd most successful driver in F1.

 

[evldave333]

It's disturbing that Vettel is been treated with a widespread disrespect! Often gets an overblown reaction unlike some media darling drivers. He's by far the most disrespected driver and it's worryingly to a very down to earth person and the 3rd most successful driver in F1.

He lost all respect after his charlie whiting rant at Mexico and showed his true weakness of character at Canada.

 

[Kevstah2004]

I wouldn’t mind seeing Button at Ferrari.

 

[numbnuts70]

Which went brilliantly, much like Prost and Senna as teammates.

Haha, a bit of drama would be a good thing in my eyes.

Ted Kravitz was dissecting the press statement made by Vettel and he was reading between the lines that Seb's off to Mclaren, prompting a straight swap with Sainz.

 

[Philtaylor17]

He lost all respect after his charlie whiting rant at Mexico and showed his true weakness of character at Canada.

I don't want to get into a pointless debate which just ends up with two different opinions, so all i will say is this.

I find it strange that people ( particularly F1 twitter ) make such sweeping statements ( one error while in dirty air means a "true weakness of character"? ) I think its difficult to say that about anyone who reaches a level like that in F1, never mind someone with 4 championships at that level. Everyone will have their favourite drivers and some they like/rate less, but the comments people make in my opinion often show a lack of understanding of the pressure and sheer competition at top level sport and/or a selective memory when talking about whichever driver they dislike.

That applies to all drivers, but for whatever reason some people feel a strange need to dislike Seb. The Race did an article on it this morning actually.

https://the-race.com/formula-1/why-do-so-many-hate-sebastian-vettel/

Not hoping to start an argument here, it just confuses me when people comment like that, so that's all I will say about it

 

[marco89IT]

Putting Giovinazzi in that Ferrari seat would be really surprising. Even with the regulation changes pushed back to 2022, I think all the teams will try to exploit every single chance they've got to collect data and try new things before the official development period. At the moment, Leclerc and Giovinazzi have 3 F1 seasons combined, in a top team that has struggled in terms of development for a decade. Giovinazzi being Italian isn't that big of an advantage either, the Italian fans would be quite disappointed with his signing since he hasn't showed that much in his 2019 season. To be fair, they would be disappointed in any case, unless it's a big name like Ricciardo or Alonso.
If Ferrari really believes Giovinazzi will become a solid 2nd driver, or maybe more, it would make more sense to leave him at Alfa, with way less pressure, for another season or 2 and then evaluate his progress. And the progress of Leclerc as a n°1, with a more experienced driver helping him in the development.

 

[Mr Grumpy]

https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/149406/sainz-set-to-replace-vettel-at-ferrari-in-2021

Looks like Carlos is going Ferrari & Daniel to McLaren

 

[Dotini]

https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/149406/sainz-set-to-replace-vettel-at-ferrari-in-2021

Looks like Carlos is going Ferrari & Daniel to McLaren

Or will Vettel go to McLaren?

 

[TenEightyOne]

Or will Vettel go to McLaren?

Plausible. German engine, german boss, British formal infrastructure, things that could all suit Vettel.

Personally I think he'll review options and take retirement. If he does then how about Alonso coming back to McLaren after spending 2019 un-retiring in the press?

 

[GlamFM]

German media are reporting that Carlos and Sebastian are switching seats.

Seb will be facing another young and ambitious driver there. Should be interesting.

 

[evldave333]

I don't want to get into a pointless debate which just ends up with two different opinions, so all i will say is this.

I find it strange that people ( particularly F1 twitter ) make such sweeping statements ( one error while in dirty air means a "true weakness of character"? ) I think its difficult to say that about anyone who reaches a level like that in F1, never mind someone with 4 championships at that level. Everyone will have their favourite drivers and some they like/rate less, but the comments people make in my opinion often show a lack of understanding of the pressure and sheer competition at top level sport and/or a selective memory when talking about whichever driver they dislike.

That applies to all drivers, but for whatever reason some people feel a strange need to dislike Seb. The Race did an article on it this morning actually.

https://the-race.com/formula-1/why-do-so-many-hate-sebastian-vettel/

Not hoping to start an argument here, it just confuses me when people comment like that, so that's all I will say about it

You miss, he chose to rant and swear at Charlie Whiting, and he chose to react like a child at Canada post race, this does not gain respect. I didnt mention his race craft, which fluctuates between red mist and genius, but he disobeys team orders, runs people off track frequently & causes collisions (singapore, silverstone, interlagos, monza & worst of all ramming hamilton in baku...) does this somehow gain him respect? I like Seb but his legacy has been tainted by his choices...

 

[numbnuts70]

 

[Mr Grumpy]

Or will Vettel go to McLaren?

I reckon he'll retire.

Can't see him going McLaren or Renault for that matter.

 

[Dotini]

...the 3rd most successful driver in F1.

Although I agree with the idea that Vettel has come in for some clear media criticism and fan disrespect, I must respectfully quibble with the suggestion he is the 3rd most successful driver in F1. The number of races per season and the number of points per race have not been constant over time, distorting the historical perspective in terms of total numbers.

 

[Philtaylor17]

You miss, he chose to rant and swear at Charlie Whiting, and he chose to react like a child at Canada post race, this does not gain respect. I didnt mention his race craft, which fluctuates between red mist and genius, but he disobeys team orders, runs people off track frequently & causes collisions (singapore, silverstone, interlagos, monza & worst of all ramming hamilton in baku...) does this somehow gain him respect? I like Seb but his legacy has been tainted by his choices...

Well like i said, I won't get into it too much as I think most F1 debates end up coming down to just different opinions. But for me those things, while no doubt being in the wrong for some of them ( I thought the post race Canada reaction was very understandable, and quite funny ) they don't taint his reputation in the way that Schumacher's was by Monaco etc.

Lots of drivers have their "moments" as do most high level sportsmen, Hamilton in Australia to the stewards, Verstappen and Ocon in Brazil, Alonso with 'Spygate', they all were in the wrong for these, but they are Human and make mistakes in the heat of high level competition. I don't understand why people hold on to them so much, and that seems to happen more so from what I can see with Vettel ( and like i said people often have selective memories when it comes to drivers they either like a lot or dislike a lot )

 

[Silver_Wolf]

Well my post is brief but I hope Seb decides to remain in F1 though I am suspecting he will take retirement as will miss him.

Despite what some may say about his actions/rants in previous years/races that is the sort of character that keeps me watching F1 as people like
Seb are needed who voice their opinion/react to things, that is human nature and not generic like certain drivers who seem to lack personality when they race/speak to the media.

If he does elect to go to McLaren for the next season I can see that would be an interesting challenge, I know they are not in the best position
but the McLaren was much stronger last year that could mean Vettel having a chance at another championship but we'll see what he decides.

Either way he has my best whatever he decides to do at the end of the 2020 season.

 

[Philtaylor17]

Mclaren would be a great fit I think, If he retired it would be a massive loss, and I really wouldn't know who to support

The dream scenario would be a straight swop with Verstappen, which would also set up an epic battle with Leclerc, but I know it would never happen

I hope he doesn't go to Renault though, I think they will end up building around Ocon for the future, which is understandable.

 

[PeterJB]

Vettel gets a lot of hate in Britain, which is understandable as he and Hamilton have been racing wheel-to-wheel for several years now. During the Red Bull years he was largely unstoppable while the British dream team of Hamilton and Button were crash-prone and had an unreliable car. In the current era he gets criticism for his race-craft on the track and Hamilton gets criticism for his persona and image off the track (to me Hamilton felt far more, relatable, genuine and down-to-Earth, with his very ordinary origins during the McLaren days, rather than the wannabe Hollywood superstar he is now, but I digress). Even without the spins and bumps he's had, he's still had to compete with the fact that Mercedes have unequivocally the fastest and most reliable car for the past six years, which is further compounded by Hamilton's obscene luck; retirements from other drivers or changing weather conditions pretty much always work in his favour. Germany was his only bad race last year, and he still extended his championship lead. Broke down in qualifying the previous year, started near the back, and still won. Started a lowly fifth in Singapore 2017, and was leading by turn 4 (though even if Vettel had won that race he still would have lost the title due the huge amount of points lost from reliability problems in the races afterwards).

He would have needed a impenetrable car to overcome the speed deficit to Mercedes to win any titles, especially with getting Hamilton getting stronger as the year goes on and being basically unstoppable post-summer break, with Vettel also was when at Red Bull. Moreover, Ferrari are not known for their hospitable nature towards drivers, what with trying to manufacture and manipulate race results due to having a reputation and a legacy to uphold that Mercedes and Red Bull don't.

I hope he doesn't retire, even if he can't keep a seat in a race-winning car it would look like accepting defeat, while Hamilton is 2.5 years older, has been racing longer and is still going strong. If Raikkonen can keep racing reasonably well into his forties while appearing to be complete indifferent to the entire sport then I'm sure Vettel can carry on the same.

 

[theschledy]

Renault has entered the chat:

Could be nothing but the timing is interesting. That being said, I'm not that excited seeing Alonso in a slow car for another year.

 

[Veinz]

Ricciardo would have been my first choice, but Sainz is still pretty good, in fact I think he’s pretty underrated by most. Much cheaper too.

It’s a better team dynamic this way, since I doubt they will be fighting for a championship any time soon. Carlos will be looking for his first win while settling in because he’s got time on his side. Dan is starting to get to the peak of his career will want to be gunning for a WDC asap.

I also have my doubts about Sainz being regulated to #2 right away.