Like Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel will be free at the end of the season. But unlike the Englishman, whom Mercedes will not try all the means to retain, the German is no longer really in a position of strength at Ferrari. The reason ? A disappointing 2019 season (9 podiums in 21 races including a single victory, 5th place in the World Championship) during which he sometimes suffered from comparison with his new teammate Charles Leclerc. Aware that the wheel of a quadruple world champion (2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013) does not fly overnight, Ferrari has often repeated in the voice of its boss Mattia Binotto that Vettel remained "his first option ”for 2021. But not at any cost.
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According to Sky Italia , the Scuderia would be willing to offer the 32-year-old German a one-season extension only. An offer "to see" in a way. And at salary conditions significantly lower than those he had negotiated in the summer of 2017 when he had re-stacked for three years and 100 million euros. At the time, Vettel held high on the Mercedes - he even led the championship at the announcement of his extension - and largely dominated his teammate Kimi Räikkönen. Today, things have changed at Ferrari. While several names are already circulating to replace him (Daniel Ricciardo, Carlos Sainz), is the former prodigy of Toro Rosso and Red Bull ready to accept these terms downwards? He may not have a choice. With the relentless postponement of the start of the season, the opportunities to prove on the track that he can still win Ferrari are likely to become rare.
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