Ferrari have set Sebastian Vettel an earlier than usual deadline to decide his future in Formula 1 post-2020.
The German is out of contract at the end of next year and is generally expected to either retire or move teams with Red Bull and McLaren rumoured options.
Typically, the Italian team tends to wait until their home race at Monza in September to make any driver announcements, but Mattia Binotto is wanting a different approach.
“Ferrari has the advantage that we are very popular among the drivers, we are in a privileged situation,” he was quoted by PlanetF1 last week.
“By the beginning of May, roughly around the race in Spain, we want to know where the journey will go in 2021.”
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As for how Ferrari will approach the decision, Binotto continued: “We have to see the performance, the way he [Vettel] adapts to the car and his motivation for the future.
“It’s not about whether he makes mistakes or not. It’s really about how he sees his future and how we see our team.”
Another factor is the relationship with teammate Charles Leclerc, with the Monegasque making his mark during his first year at Maranello.
“Clearly Charles’ performance has had an impact [on Vettel],” Ferrari CEO Louis Camilleri stated. “That’s inevitable when you’re the world champion and this young kid comes along and has a phenomenal season.
“Charles has a lot of talent. He has surprised even ourselves as to what he has been capable of.”
And Vettel himself admits he has to respond to Leclerc’s threat next year.
“My season wasn’t perfect,” he told Swiss publication Blick. “Small things made the difference and in the end, the points that should have been scored are missing.
“Of course I’m not satisfied, I have to improve clearly. Life against Charles will certainly not be easier in 2020.
“And the new generation is already fully there. With Charles, Max [Verstappen], Esteban [Ocon], Lando [Norris], Alex [Albon], George [Russell], Pierre [Gasly] and their names.”
