Brundle suspects chances of Vettel leaving Formula 1 quite big
F1 News
- GPblog.com
What's Sebastian Vettel going to do after this season? That he will leave Ferrari is now a fact, but there is still no clarity about his future. Will he join another team or will the quadruple champion retire at the end of this season? Martin Brundle considers the chance quite real that Vettel decides to stop in Formula 1.
No new house
Sebastian Vettel turns 33 in July and although that's obviously very young, many drivers in the sport are even younger. Most of them are also a lot cheaper and Vettel, as a four-time champion, won't settle for a team that can't compete at the top. Martin Brundle says on this basis at Sky Sports that he doesn't immediately see a new home for the driver.
"We know he's talking to other teams and he's got such a great turn of speed. But I wonder if it's the end of the road for Seb, or whether he'll take a midfield situation with promise. I don't necessarily see a home for Sebastian Vettel."
Quit Formula 1
"I think there's a good chance Sebastian will step away from Formula 1. Whether it's for good or not, as we've seen with other drivers, remains to be seen." But who will replace him? Brundle also estimates the odds for Carlos Sainz: "I think they're more likely to go for Sainz."
"I see a scenario which is Sainz to Ferrari, Ricciardo to McLaren, and then that leaves a seat at Renault that probably would be [Fernando] Alonso", and here Brundle adds: "The Renault seat, if I'm right with Ricciardo going to McLaren, is a works seat and may appeal to [Vettel]."
Hamilton?
Also the contract of Hamilton expires at the end of this year so the Brit could also be an interesting option for Ferrari, although that chance is small. In addition, Brundle does not expect Ferrari to put Hamilton and Leclerc side by side. "And I'm not entirely sure Hamilton is available," he added. "I think he's made it quite clear that Mercedes is his future, both in the cockpit and outside of it in the distant future."