LEWIS HAMILTON’S mega-move to Ferrari has hit a bump after Sebastian Vettel said he wants to stay there.
Six-time world champ Hamilton held secret talks with Ferrari chairman John Elkann, while CEO Louis Camilleri said the team were “very flattered Lewis in particular, and other drivers, want to join us”.
Lewis Hamilton’s hopes of a mega-money move to Ferrari could be scuppered by Sebastian Vettel signing a new deal
Vettel’s days with the Italian outfit looked numbered after being outclassed by Charles Leclerc last season.
But his latest comments could see Hamilton, who like Vettel is out of contract on December 31, reopen talks with his Mercedes bosses.
And it means the Brit, 35, has lost all bargaining power over the £60million-a-year contract he was holding out for.
When quizzed if he intends to stay at Ferrari, Vettel said: “I’ve made that clear in Australia, so it’s not a discussion.
“Whatever the deal will be, it will be whatever I and the team are comfortable with, so in terms of duration I don’t know.
“The contracts I’ve had in the past were all three-year deals. I know I’m one of the more experienced drivers in Formula One but I’m not the oldest.
“I don’t think there’s an age limit in this regard, so it will depend on what we feel comfortable with.”
Asked when he expects to sign the new deal, the 32-year-old said: “One of the key things now for everyone is to remain patient.
“It obviously depends when we have the first race. There is a high chance we will have to make a decision before the first race.
The pair, with ten world championships between them, are both out of contract at the end of 2020Credit: Getty Images – Getty
CALENDAR CONGESTION
“At the moment it looks like there will be no racing before June or even July.
“We are all waiting but the main priority was to ensure we’re all dealing with the situation in the right way, therefore everything was put on hold.”
F1 chiefs have drawn up alternative calendars in a bid to squeeze in up to 19 races — a move that would hugely test teams’ logistics and demands on their staff.
Racing behind closed doors or staging multiple races at one track are both solutions being considered.
Vettel has been speaking about the plans with the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association.
But despite the threat of some teams going bust during the coronavirus lockdown, Vettel said corners cannot be cut over safety.
He added: “We have spoken about that a fair amount inside the GPDA and it’s very, very difficult.
“On one hand you have the health of the sport from a business aspect, on the other you have responsibility for the people in the paddock and the fans.
“We need to make sure that as much as we are taking care of ourselves we are also taking care of the public.
“There are a lot of options at the moment in terms of how to get going again.
“Whether it’s without fans or ghost races or no-ghost races, I don’t know.
“We would all like to get back to normal but the best prescription is to be patient.”
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Lewis Hamilton test drives the new Mercedes F1 car in Barcelona
Source: Motorsport - thesun.co.uk
