0
Ferrari president Sergio Marchionne says that Sebastian Vettel never asked the team for a one-year deal. Ferrari announced last week that the German had signed a three-year extension with the Italian squad, as his contract that he signed in 2015 was set to expire at the end of the current season.
Rumours sprung around the paddock before the extension was signed that Vettel was only interested in a one-year deal, in order to keep his 2019 options open. However Marchionne told Sky Sports in Italy that no such conversation took place.
"If he did ask for a year, I'm unaware of it. The only thing we ever talked about was whether it was a two or three-year deal. I think he's happy here. I made that comment in the past. I told him he was free to sign up anytime he wanted to. I like Seb a lot. I think he's matured a lot even though he's a world champion multiple times over. I think he's matured a lot in the last year. He's a Ferrari man. Those things you don't get out of your blood."
Ferrari has stepped up in 2017 and risen to the challenge of Mercedes who have dominated the sport for the last three seasons. Vettel leads the driver standings by seven points and reported after the Belgian Grand Prix that the team has no need to fear any circuits.
"We'll take it as it comes in that shape, but obviously the objective is to try and clean this up," Marchionne continued. "There's been a huge development of the car since the beginning of the season. The rest of the season, this race excepted, seems to be more favourable to the characteristics of our car.
"If that's true, then I think it's going to be an interesting dog fight between us and Mercedes right to the end, and it'll be a great season. I think it's going to be the stuff that Formula 1 should be made of as a sport.''
Fergal Walsh
Trends come and go, and we have seen all sorts of cultural trends with respect to sports. It’s no secret that t...
Grand Prix of BelgiumLocal time
Grand Prix of BelgiumLocal time
Bahrain International Circuit - Winter testing
M. Verstappen
V. Bottas
M. Verstappen
271,058 comments on Aston Martin
60 members have this team as their favourite
Tweets about Sebastian Vettel
442,429 comments on Mercedes 53 members have this team as their favourite Tweets about Mercedes
Bahrain
Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
Portugal
Autódromo Internacional do Algarve
Spain
Circuit de Catalunya
Monaco
Monte Carlo
Azerbaijan
Baku City Circuit
France
Paul Ricard
Austria
Red Bull Ring
Austria
Red Bull Ring
United Kingdom
Silverstone
Hungary
Hungaroring
Belgium
Spa-Francorchamps
Netherlands
Circuit Zandvoort
Italy
Monza
Russian
Sochi Autodrom
Singapore
Marina Bay Street Circuit
Japan
Circuit Suzuka
United States of America
Circuit of the Americas
Mexico
Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez
Brazil
Interlagos
Australia
Albert Park
Saudi Arabia
Jeddah Street Circuit
United Arab Emirates
Yas Marina Circuit
Replies (0)
Login to reply