08/06/2020
NEWS STORY
While Toto Wolff hasn't totally ruled out the possibility of Sebastian Vettel partnering Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes next year, most consider such a move extremely unlikely.
One person who would be happy to see the German at the wheel for the Silver Arrows is Ferrari team boss, Mattia Binotto.
"I hear rumours that Mercedes are interested and I would be very happy for him, I really would be," he tells Spanish publication Marca.
"It would be a loss," he said of speculation that the four-time world champion could be without a seat next year, "because we love and appreciate him and it would be important for him to find a good seat next year."
Asked if it had been difficult to part company with Vettel, Binotto admitted: "Without a doubt... for many reasons. Ferrari love Sebastian as a driver and as a person as he is part of our team and our project, so it is never an easy decision," he said.
"He was our first option and then the coronavirus pandemic came," he added, "a situation that has changed many things, from the regulations to the budget cap.
"There are things that have changed the situation, with the new car postponed to 2022. We had to make internal reviews and that's what we did."
Asked about talk that Vettel was unhappy with the deal offered by the Maranello outfit, said to be short-term and for less money, Binotto insisted: "No, that's not true.
"It is simply that things have changed and we are looking at a new cycle. It seems that this vision, in terms of timing, did not coincide with his vision. It was not because of the type of offer or its duration."