Sebastian Vettel could be out of a job after 2017 if he doesn’t return to good form and race in a calmer manner. His current contract with Ferrari expires after 2017, and the Italian-based team will not be eager to resign his contract if he doesn’t return to a winning form.
When Vettel first joined Ferrari in 2015, he was quite successful, winning three races in the season. Unfortunately, 2016 was a different story for the German, as he was unable to take home a single race victory. While some fans are blaming a subpar car for Vettel’s inability to win, others have said that the four-time World Drivers’ Champion is demotivated.
Maurizio Arrivabene, the Ferrari Team Principal, dismissed these claims when speaking at the Ferrari Christmas event:
“With Vettel and Raikkonen we have two world champions on our books. Sebastian was here yesterday, working in the simulator and he repeated the fact that he wants to win with Ferrari. It’s up to us to give them a car capable of doing that.”
Vettel had a few hot tempered moments in 2016. There were his multiple battles with Daniil Kvyat and Max Verstappen, as well as the situation in Mexico which could have landed him in some trouble with the FIA. And as always, he has become famous for his blue flag radio messages when he is behind slower cars. His lack of a race win in 2016 may not be the problem.
Ferrari is a team that has always been highly protective of their public image, even going as far as to fire Alain Prost for publicly criticizing their car. Vettel has brought a lot of negative attention to the team and he was reminded by Sergio Marchionne, the Ferrari President, at the Christmas lunch that he needs to only focus on driving his best and not be so nervous.
Vettel’s contract will expire in 2017 and the team has already said that they are in no hurry to renew for 2018 and beyond. Kimi Räikkönen will also be out of a contract after 2017, as his one year contract extension comes to an end. It is unlikely that Räikkönen will renew, as he is likely to go into retirement.
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