Formula 1: Ferrari reveal 2021 driver lineup consideration

With Charles Leclerc confirmed through the 2024 Formula 1 season, Ferrari have revealed what they are looking for in the other half of their 2021 driver lineup.

Very few, four to be exact, drivers are under contract beyond the conclusion of the 2020 Formula 1 season, and one of those drivers is Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.

The 22-year-old Monegasque signed with the Italian team in September of 2018 to replace 2007 champion Kimi Raikkonen alongside four-time champion Sebastian Vettel beginning in the 2019 season.

At the time, it was stated that Leclerc’s deal would keep him with Ferrari through the 2022 season, but nothing was confirmed at any point throughout the 2019 season aside of the fact that he was set to return to the team in 2020.

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But last month, Ferrari confirmed a long-term future for Leclerc with the team, signing him to a contract extension that runs through the 2024 season to keep him in Maranello for at least another five years.

However, aside of Leclerc, there are only three drivers with contracts to compete in 2021, and one of the 16 drivers slated to compete in 2020 but not under contract for 2021 is Vettel, who signed a three-year extension to continue driving for Ferrari back in August of 2017.

Vettel’s seat has been one of the most discussed potentially open seats for the 2021 season, with several drivers having already been linked to it, especially given his recent struggles that have only gotten worse over the last three years.

Six-time champion Lewis Hamilton is by far the most notable driver who has been linked to Ferrari for next year, as his contract with Mercedes expires after the 2020 season.

Mercedes themselves have not even committed to returning as a constructor in 2021, so Hamilton would need to move on to potentially break Michael Schumacher’s all-time record of seven titles.

Among other candidates mentioned for Vettel’s seat are Raikkonen and Daniel Ricciardo. While Vettel beat him in the driver standings in each of their four seasons together at Ferrari, Raikkonen was paramount in the development of the car and could very well put off retirement should an opportunity for a third Ferrari stint arise.

As for Ricciardo, he had been discussed as a possible Ferrari driver a few years ago when he was still at Red Bull Racing. He did indeed leave Red Bull Racing after the 2018 season, but it was for Renault.

However, he only signed a two-year deal, and team managing director Cyril Abiteboul has already stated that he wants to pair a young Renault Sport Academy driver with Esteban Ocon in 2021, which would leave the talented Ricciardo without a ride.

Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen was previously rumored to be in the mix, but that was all but ruled out even before he and the team burned their respective bridges to make that happen, as it is clear that Leclerc is their number one driver, and the last thing Ferrari need are two alpha drivers. Additionally, Red Bull Racing have now confirmed Verstappen through the 2023 season.

Other young candidates include Antonio Giovinazzi, who Ferrari have backed at the Ferrari-powered Alfa Romeo Racing team since his rookie season in 2019, and Mick Schumacher, a Ferrari Driver Academy driver slated for a second season in Formula 2 in 2021.

It’s also worth mentioning that there is no guarantee that Vettel will be out, either, depending on how the 2020 season pans out for not only him but the team as a whole.

But according to Ferrari, one thing that will determine the other half of their 2021 driver lineup is experience.

The 2021 season is set to see the introduction of Liberty Media’s new rules and regulations for Formula 1, rules and regulations aimed at making the sport more competitive.

New cars are also slated for introduction in 2021, and this preference came about largely because of these new cars.

Here is what team principal Mattia Binotto had to say, according to Motorsport.

"“2021 will be too early for one of our young talents, too. In 2021 some experience from drivers will be important because it’s a completely new type of car.”"

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Who will join Charles Leclerc at Ferrari in the 2021 Formula 1 season? Will Sebastian Vettel sign a contract extension, or will the team sign somebody else?

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