Formula 1: Sebastian Vettel insists he will return to Ferrari in 2020
By Asher Fair
Sebastian Vettel insists that he will return to Scuderia Ferrari for the 2020 Formula 1 season despite recent rumors that he might retire after 2019.
Scuderia Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel signed a three-year contract to continue driving for Ferrari through the 2020 Formula 1 season back in August of 2017, be rumors recently emerged that he may be considering retirement once the 2019 season reaches its conclusion.
But the 31-year-old German has insisted that he will, in fact, return to, at the very least, finish out his current contract in what is set to be his sixth season driving for the Italian team.
Here is what Vettel had to say about the matter, according to Inside Racing.
"“I have no plans to stop Formula 1. I still have lots of fun, and I still have something to do at Ferrari. We want to try everything again this season to bring about the turnaround and the Canadian Grand Prix should be the beginning.”"
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That “something to do” at Ferrari is most definitely winning a championship, as the four-time champion has not won a championship since he won four consecutive championships driving for Red Bull Racing from the 2010 season through the 2013 season.
Vettel and Ferrari have had a few chances, namely in the 2017 season and then again in the 2018 season, to knock Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsports and five-time champion Lewis Hamilton off the pedestal that they have been on since the V6 turbo hybrid era began in the 2014 season, but unfortunately a plethora of unforced errors cost them their chances to do so. Vettel finished in second place in the driver standings in both of these seasons, 46 points behind champion Hamilton in the 2017 season (363 to 317) and 88 points behind him in the 2018 season (408 to 320).
To date, the 2019 season has been Vettel’s worst season since the 2016 season, as through six races, he has not yet been victorious, and he has earned just one second place finish in the Monaco Grand Prix. He sits in third in the driver standings with 82 points, 55 behind leader Hamilton with 137.
Vettel, who is currently on a 14-race win drought going back to last year’s Belgian Grand Prix, has driven in a total of 86 races for Ferrari. He has earned 13 victories, recorded 48 podium finishes and taken 10 pole positions in these 86 races.
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Will Sebastian Vettel return to Ferrari for what would be his sixth consecutive season driving for the team in the 2020 Formula 1 season, or will he retire after all? Given his apparent intentions and his current contract, don’t expect to see him walk away after the 2019 season ends.