Formula 1: Sebastian Vettel out at Ferrari after 2020

Ferrari have confirmed that Sebastian Vettel will not be back with the team following the 2020 Formula 1 season after they could not agree on a deal.

Four-time Formula 1 world champion Sebastian Vettel will not return to Ferrari for what would have been a seventh season with the team next year after the two sides were unable to come to terms on a contract extension.

The 32-year-old German most recently signed a three-year contract extension back in August of 2017, but he has not signed another deal since.

This news comes after reports stated that he was offered a new deal by the Scuderia that he rejected and called a “joke”, as it would have resulted in him taking a massive pay cut to effectively play the number two driver role to teammate Charles Leclerc.

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Vettel, who Ferrari had previously stated was still their number one choice to place alongside Leclerc for the 2021 season, is currently the sport’s second highest paid driver.

The 22-year-old Leclerc, who arrived at Ferrari ahead of the 2019 season, beat Vettel in wins, podium finishes, pole positions, average finish, laps led, lead-lap finishes and points in his first season with the team and signed an extension through the 2024 season over the offseason.

Vettel’s offer was also reportedly only a one-year extension, and he had previously made note of the fact that he had usually signed three-year deals.

Here is what Vettel had to say about leaving the Italian team following the 2020 season, according to Formula 1.

"“My relationship with Scuderia Ferrari will finish at the end of 2020. In order to get the best possible results in this sport, it’s vital for all parties to work in perfect harmony. The team and I have realised that there is no longer a common desire to stay together beyond the end of this season. Financial matters have played no part in this joint decision. That’s not the way I think when it comes to making certain choices and it never will be.“What’s been happening in these past few months has led many of us to reflect on what are our real priorities in life. One needs to use one’s imagination and to adopt a new approach to a situation that has changed. I myself will take the time I need to reflect on what really matters when it comes to my future.“Scuderia Ferrari occupies a special place in Formula 1 and I hope it gets all the success it deserves. Finally, I want to thank the whole Ferrari family and above all its “tifosi” all around the world, for the support they have given me over the years. My immediate goal is to finish my long stint with Ferrari, in the hope of sharing some more beautiful moments together, to add to all those we have enjoyed so far.”"

Here is what Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto had to say about the matter.

"“This is a decision taken jointly by ourselves and Sebastian, one which both parties feel is for the best. 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.“Sebastian is already part of the Scuderia’s history, with his 14 Grands Prix wins making him the third most successful driver for the team, while he is also the one who has scored the most points with us. In our five years together, he has finished in the top three of the Drivers’ Championship three times, making a significant contribution to the team’s constant presence in the top three of the Constructors’ classification.“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.”"

The 2020 season has not yet gotten underway due to the coronavirus pandemic. The first race on the schedule which has not yet been postponed or canceled is the race that would have been the 11th of 22, the Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring. That race is scheduled to take place on Sunday, July 5.

During his first five seasons with Ferrari, Vettel competed in 101 races and secured 14 victories and 54 podium finishes. He took 12 pole positions and led 1,059 of the 5,699 laps he completed. He finished in second place in the driver standings in the 2017 and 2018 seasons.

Vettel arrived at the Maranello-based team after a six-year stint at Red Bull Racing that saw him win four consecutive world championships from 2010 to 2013, a four-year span in which he won 34 races in 77 starts and took an additional 19 podium finishes.

But in recent years with Ferrari, Vettel has struggled, making several unforced errors that resulted in himself and the team losing a boatload of points.

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It is unclear whether or not Sebastian Vettel will remain in Formula 1 for the 2021 season or if he will end up retiring, and it is unclear who Ferrari will name as his replacement. That may not be confirmed for quite some time given the fact that the 2020 season has not yet begun.

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