In a surprising move 4-time Formula One world champion Sebastian Vettel has announced he is quitting the Red Bull Racing team at the end of the season. Team Principal Christian Horner has hinted that Vettel is likely moving to Ferrari though there has been no official confirmation on the same until now.
The announcement was made couple of weeks back on the eve of the Japanese Grand Prix. Vettel’s contract with Red Bull was until next year but his agreement provided the option for an early exit. The German joined Red Bull in 2009 where he won four straight championships between 2010 & 2013. However he is yet to win a race in 2014 with his own teammate Daniel Ricciardo outperforming him & the Mercedes duo of Lewis Hamilton & Nico Rosberg dominating the championship.
The lure of Ferrari – Formula One’s premier team & brand has been irresistible for almost any driver even though the team’s current performance is a far cry from its glory days. Not only this is the first year since 1993 that the team hasn’t registered any win but it is also facing a top-level management shuffle. Luca di Montezemolo has quit as the team’s Chairman due to the team’s dismal performance & differences with his would-be successor Sergio Marchionne.
Vettel was getting increasingly frustrated with his performance this season & playing second fiddle to his rookie team-mate Ricciardo; something he wasn’t used to. Vettel has also expressed displeasure over the performance of his tyres & car design this year. The German admitted that the exit decision wasn’t an easy one to make but the urge to do something bigger & different was greater.
Red Bull have confirmed Ricciardo will be the main driver & Russian driver Daniil Kvyat will replace Vettel. Kvyat drives for Red Bull’s feeder team Torro Roso. Reports suggest that under Ferrari’s contract Vettel is likely to earn a whopping $80 mn per year, making him the world’s highest paid sportsperson. This figure is exclusive of endorsements & sponsorship deals. In joining Ferrari Vettel would emulate his childhood idol & Formula One legend Michael Schumacher, who won 5 titles for Ferrari.
The move casts a doubt over Fernando Alonso’s racing career. While it hasn’t been made official Alonso & Ferrari have terminated their agreement after strained relations between the two. Alonso is contemplating between a move to McLaren or taking a sabbatical in 2015. McLaren insists no official agreement has been signed but reports suggest that the Spaniard is mulling a multi-year agreement from the team. The move also casts doubt over the future of current Mercedes drivers Jenson Button & Kevin Magnussen. Alonso is also exploring the possibility of joining Mercedes in 2016.
At 27, Vettel has the time to build an award-winning partnership with Ferrari. Red Bull’s competitive struggle this season forced him to consider winning the World Championship again with another team. Amid this game of musical chairs next year’s F1 drivers’ line-up promises to be an interesting line-up.
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