Turns out, Ferrari never offered Sebastian Vettel a contract in the first place. According to the latest reports, Ferrari had no intention of keeping the German driver beyond 2020. Of course, there is no solid evidence to back this claim but it is a surprising revelation nonetheless.

Ferrari never offered Sebastian Vettel a contract

Before Ferrari officially announced Vettel’s exit, many rumors suggested there were several rounds of negotiations. Allegedly, Vettel rejected Ferrari’s offers, which were short term deals with reduced pay. Apparently, those deals and contracts never happened.

Despite Binotto hinting early on that the team prioritized Vettel for the vacant seat, Ferrari never wanted Seb to continue in the first place. According to The Race, Mattia Binotto had decided on Vettel’s fate even before the 2019 season concluded.

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Apparently, Binotto’s decision was influenced by the tension between Vettel and Leclerc and the drama that transpired on track. Clearly, things had reached boiling point during the closing stages of the season.

After the summer break, there was a shift in balance within Ferrari. Until that point, it was clear that Ferrari backed Seb as the de facto team leader. However, a flurry of pole positions and consecutive victories shifted the tide in the Monegasque’s favor.

The Italian Grand Prix truly was a turning point that signaled the changing of the guard. Seeing his younger teammate cheered on by the adoring Tifosi at Monza, would’ve surely hurt the 4 times World Champion. Many believed Seb would end Ferrari’s drought, even as a child, Vettel dreamed of emulating his hero Michael Schumacher.

An unhappy ending

It always appeared like Vettel would win for Ferrari at Monza, but his younger, less experienced teammate beat him to it. To make matters worse, Vettel endured a nightmare race compounded by an amateur spin.

That Monza podium cemented Leclerc as Italy’s F1 Messiah and Ferrari’s young prince. Seb was quickly losing grasp over his established position within the team and he needed to act, to salvage something. Seb’s change in demeanor was apparent in all the races that followed. There were trust issues and constant uneasiness within the team, which now almost seemed like a different place to Vettel.

As the races went by, the tension only grew. It finally reached a breaking point at the Brazilian Grand Prix, when both cars took each other out. For Ferrari, the time had come to decide.

Allegedly, Ferrari was in talks with Sainz during the winter break. According to reports, Sainz and Ferrari’s agreement was done before the scheduled race in Australia. Throughout all of this, Sebastian Vettel was never in the picture.

One can’t help but feel for Vettel. For a man who resurrected the team from oblivion, he was ultimately dismissed without consideration. As things stand, Vettel could walk from F1 after this season.

Sadly, Ferrari is losing its biggest fan