DOHA: Four times world champion Sebastian Vettel will ultimately walk away from the sport entirely at the end of a COVID-19 hit 2020 season without adding to his championship tally.
“The team and I have realised that there is no longer a common desire to stay together beyond the end of this season,” said a Ferrari statement.
The 32-year-old German, who won his drivers’ crowns with Red Bull from 2010-13, hinted at that possibility in a Ferrari statement announcing his departure after five years at Maranello.
“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,” said Vettel.
Schumacher won five of his record seven titles with the Italian team but those days are gone and Vettel, one of the highest-paid drivers, has so far only 14 race wins for Ferrari to his credit.
“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,” said Mattia Binotto, Managing Director Gestione Sportiva and Team Principal.
“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,” Ferrari said on its website.
