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Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto insists that there is no specific reason that has led to Sebastian Vettel's departure from the Italian squad at the end of 2020.
The news broke on Tuesday morning that the two parties had not agreed upon a contract beyond the current season, which is the final year of Vettel's deal.
Vettel joined Ferrari in 2015 and has picked up 14 grand prix victory in that time, ending up second in the drivers' championship on two occasions (2017, 2018).
A handful of difficult years has led to questions over Vettel's future and Binotto says that both the team and Vettel mutually agreed to end their partnership at the conclusion of the 2020 season.
"This is a decision taken jointly by ourselves and Sebastian, one which both parties feel is for the best,” Binotto said. “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.”
Binotto highlighted that Vettel's win tally at Ferrari makes him “the third most successful driver for the team”, behind Michael Schumacher and Niki Lauda.
Vettel has also scored the most amount of race points in Ferrari's history, placing him ahead of Fernando Alonso, Kimi Raikkonen and Michael Schumacher.
Binotto added: “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."
Vettel's teammate Charles Leclerc is tied down to a long-term deal, having signed an extension to the end of 2024 in December of 2019.
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C. Sainz jr
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Replies (6)
Login to replyPistonhead
Posts: 556
Fun and games for rest of this season - if to ever starts - cant wait ! Im very proud of Vettel for walking away instead of sticking in there just for the money - class.
calle.itw
Posts: 8,527
Agreed, I kinda just don't see Ferrari doing better than P3 as it stands.
calle.itw
Posts: 8,527
Honestly, Ric or Hammy should pounce on this. Ricciardo is a boon to any team, a skilled and marketable driver with decent sponsors, and Hammy is a WC. For him it'd be a shot at a silly high(er) salary while also proving he is greater than Merc'.
mcbhargav
Posts: 1,332
I dont think HAM is leaving Merc without that elusive 7th title. Merc knows that.
calle.itw
Posts: 8,527
Neither do I, but I think it's the only way to go if he want to separate his legacy from Merc' somewhat.
Ram Samartha
Posts: 1,172
Vettel has been complaining and making mistakes for a few years now. Maybe he'll go over to Alfa and take up hobby racing with Kimi.