Formula 1: Sebastian Vettel again linked to surprise team for 2021

Four-time Formula 1 world champion Sebastian Vettel has again been linked with McLaren for the 2021 season, and it may hold some water.

Sebastian Vettel is one of more than a dozen drivers who are set to enter the 2020 Formula 1 season in a contract year, as he signed a three-year contract extension with Ferrari in August of 2017 but has not renewed his deal since then.

The four-time world champion reportedly had a chance to renew his deal with Ferrari recently, however, even though the 2020 season has not yet gotten underway.

This came as a shock to some, given that he has made several unforced errors in recent years and cost himself and the team an abundance of points, possibly even two world championships. He was even almost suspended for a race last year.

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But Vettel reportedly turned down this deal and called it a “joke”, as it was only a one-year extension that would have required him to take a massive pay cut. He is currently the sport’s second highest paid driver.

If Vettel is unwilling to accept this kind of deal from Ferrari, which have already signed Charles Leclerc through the 2024 season, could the 2020 season be his last with the team?

German Formula 1 commentator Sascha Roos believes that Vettel will effectively swap seats with Carlos Sainz Jr., who has recently emerged as a replacement candidate for the 32-year-old German if the 2020 season does, in fact, turn out to be his final season with the Scuderia.

Sainz currently competes for McLaren, which means that a driver swap would send Vettel to the Woking-based team, presumably alongside Lando Norris.

Here is what Roos had to say about Vettel’s status.

"“He has just received an immoral offer from Ferrari, with a big drop in salary and probably not with number 1 status. Perhaps they have given him an offer that he will not sign. Then his place would be free for Carlos Sainz.“Sebastian Vettel is not about money. He is interested in having a successful car with the status he likes within the team. McLaren is also going to have a Mercedes engine, which is not a bad thing. It could be a reason that is attractive for Vettel, rather than having poor terms and being the less popular choice at Ferrari.“It may be that the conditions he has at McLaren would be better than staying at Ferrari as the number 2 behind Charles Leclerc.”"

This rumor comes on the heels of a rumor that emerged over the offseason that Vettel could indeed be on his way to McLaren, and a few things that Roos points out make complete sense.

First, McLaren are set to switch to Mercedes engines next year for the first time since 2014. After three unsuccessful seasons with Honda from 2015 to 2017, they switched to Renault ahead of the 2018 season.

While they have made improvements and won the unofficial “best of the rest” title last year, they still aren’t on the level of the “Big 3”: Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull Racing.

But a switch to Mercedes engines could improve their odds of truly getting competitive again, making them an attractive option for Vettel. Plus, the new rules and regulations slated to go into effect in 2022 now as opposed to 2021.

Additionally, Ferrari did recently sign Leclerc to a long-term extension. The 22-year-old Monegasque began competing for the team last season, and in his first year with the team, he beat Vettel in wins, podium finishes, pole positions, lead-lap finishes, laps led, average finish, and points.

Leclerc now has the longest active deal among all 20 drivers currently competing in Formula 1. That illustrates the commitment that Ferrari have to him as their future top driver, one who is more than a full decade younger than Vettel.

Would Vettel really want to take a massive pay cut just to play second-fiddle to a driver who already beat him in year one, especially if a seat with a presumably improved McLaren team is available?

I believe we already know the answer to that question, even without the McLaren seat confirmed as being open.

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When the 2021 Formula 1 season rolls around, will Sebastian Vettel be back for another year with Ferrari? If not, who will be his replacement, and will he be competing for McLaren or another team? That all remains to be seen, especially since the 2020 season still hasn’t had the chance to get underway as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

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