Is Mercedes F1 Negotiating with Sebastian Vettel?
Giancarlo Perlas August 26, 2017
There have been rumors that Sebastian Vettel is being lured by Mercedes AMG Petronas for a team switch possibly next season. However, Mercedes F1 recently denied such claims.
According to the interview of Mercedes motorsport boss Toto Wolff with Autosport, they had no formal discussions with Vettel for a future contract with them. He explained that the information was just a result of a “confusion.” He said that the only talks they had with the Ferrari driver only involved a “casual paddock chat.”
The statements of Wolff were somewhat opposite of what the team’s non-executive chairman Niki Lauda told several sources. During one of his interviews, he mentioned that he had that discussion with Vettel over the matter. As the rankings of Ferrari in the sport took off though, he said that Vettel now has more reason to stay with his current team.
Wolff acknowledged that Lauda had chats with Vettel before over a cup of coffee. He pointed out that there may have been discussions centering on the subject but it did not result to any formal negotiations.
With the gossip about the probable switch of Vettel, the position of Valtteri Bottas was put into question. Wolff assured everyone that the confirmation for the Finn’s extended contract is “not far away.”
At present, Vettel is leading the F1 Driver Standings with 202 points. Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton follows with 188 points while his partner Bottas is not far behind at 169 points. On the other hand, Mercedes F1 is leading in the Constructors Standings with 357 points compared to Ferrari’s 318 points.
