Sebastian Vettel has played down an immediate contract extension with Ferrari, saying he is focusing on getting the job done out on track before thinking about signing a new deal with the Maranello outfit.
Vettel joined Ferrari in 2015 on a three-year deal, meaning that his contract will expire at the end of this season, along with teammate Kimi Raikkonen's. It is widely expected that the German will put pen to paper for Ferrari, but for now, he is not thinking about it.
"The contract extension is not an issue at the moment," Speed Week quotes Vettel as saying in Montreal. "Maybe that sounds a little strange, but we are focused entirely on the season and so far we have not had time to talk about it in peace. We are all trying to preserve the current momentum that we have," he added.
Vettel was also asked about claims from all sides last week that his strong involvement in the development of this year's Pirelli tyres has given Ferrari an obvious advantage.
"I was simply asked if I wanted to test and I said yes immediately," he said. "I don't know if it was an advantage because the transition car was completely different to what we have now. For example, we had problems getting heat into the tyres but this is no longer an issue, at least for us."
Fergal Walsh
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Bahrain International Circuit - Winter testing
Replies (4)
Login to replycalle.itw
Posts: 8,527
Oh lets just admit it now Vettel. You are loving this, and you are about as likely to leave Ferrari as I am likely to win the lottery.
f1fan0101
Posts: 1,804
Exactly, there's not a hope he's leaving Ferrari. If they were uncompetitive, I'd be less inclined to say so, but the fact he has a chance to live his childhood dream, there's no way he won't be signing for them
calle.itw
Posts: 8,527
Yeah, its his childhood dream, he has built the team around him, the car is competitive, pretty much everything has fallen into place for him.
FatMike
Posts: 153
recent success clearly gives a better position to negotiate. if he wins this year he can get whatever he wants where he wants it. Perfectly understandable that extending his contract is not a prio given current circumstances