14/05/2017
NEWS STORY
Just days after Sebastian Vettel questioned why even when he and Ferrari were winning it was still never good enough for the Italian media, it was claimed by said media that the German had signed a "pre-agreement" to join Mercedes in 2018.
Asked about the claim, Vettel, whose contract with Ferrari ends this year, smiled: "Is it coming from Italy?" he laughed. "Then, maybe you should ask the Italians; they seem to know more than I do.
"I think the situation is clear," he continued. "Obviously, the main focus is on this year, that's not a secret and it's not a line that I drop, it's a fact for all of us inside the team.
"Obviously, we find ourselves in a very good position this year and that's what we want to keep and to use. Everything else is not that important.
"There have also been some rumours, I think, in previous years. I don't know. Maybe some are from Italy, some are from Germany... in that case maybe you should refer to the Italians."
As ever, when asked about the media claim, which some say originate with him, Niki Lauda was a little more forthright.
"It's all bullshit, if I may say that,” he told Sky Sports F1.
“I'm sorry," he continued, "but it drives me crazy and I can tell you a reason you'll understand. A Ferrari driver, his head is for Ferrari, and the money in the end is also there.
"Why would Vettel leave Ferrari when he's winning? There's no reason. He will stay in his team, he loves his team, everything is right. So there's no reason to think these things."
Told the supposed source of the Italian media claims, Maurizio Arrivabene told Sky Sports: "I have a lot of respect for Niki but if you put on paper all his statements in the last two or three years, some things are true and some things are just to create a bit of noise.
"If the objective is to create some disappointment to us or to our driver, the objective failed," he insisted.