Sebastian Vettel admits he isn’t sure about the possibility of racing for a midfield team again in Formula 1.
The four-time world champion is out of contract at Ferrari at the end of 2020 and has been linked to a possible McLaren switch for 2021, while Renault also says they can’t ‘say no’ to considering him for a seat.
However, Vettel admits the thought of making what would be a backward step from Ferrari isn’t one he’s considered.
“I don’t know, I can’t give you an answer to this question,” he told Motorsport. “I don’t really know.
“When I was in the middle of the grid, I was at the beginning of my career in Formula 1, with Toro Rosso and shortly thereafter at Red Bull, even though we quickly got to the front.
“In Toro Rosso the first year we fought for the 15th and 17th position, I had Vitantonio Liuzzi as a teammate and we were not competitive enough.
“The following year (2008) was incredible: we were able to fight for the 12th place, then for the 10th, then at the end of the season we were constantly in the top 10.”
Vettel wouldn’t be short of advisors on the matter however with Daniel Ricciardo and Kimi Raikkonen both leaving top teams to join Renault and Alfa Romeo respectively.
But the 32-year-old does believe competing lower down the grid wouldn’t offer the same satisfaction as his current place.
“Yes, it depends on the situation: when you start fighting for the top 10, finding yourself in the top five is exciting, but when you pass the last 10 years in the top five and then you find yourself 15th, the feeling cannot be the same,” he claimed.
“It goes without saying that if you find yourself 15th after having spent a life in 18th place, you seem to have reached the most beautiful thing in the world. I don’t think you can pretend nothing about your past, if you won a lot I think you want to win again.
“Look at Kimi, for example, he certainly can’t fight for victory now, but I think he would like to do it if he could choose to do it.
“In the end, if you are driven by passion, you find satisfaction and you can also have fun driving and racing alone.”
Another factor for a top driver such as Vettel to consider is, unless you’re Ricciardo, a move to a smaller team will mean a reduction in salary compared to what he’s paid now at Ferrari.
“You know, it depends on what is really important to you, what guides you in making decisions,” he said.
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“I think the real question to ask is: when does the money get enough?
“I don’t want to point the finger at anyone, mind you: if money motivates you, then fight for that, there are many men of sports and business driven by earnings.
“Here we are in a ‘circus’ that is a bit lost, a lot of money is circulating and money tends to ruin people and let’s go back to what I said a little while ago: you have to see where you have your limit.
“At some point, money stops being the most important thing, but there is always the desire to enjoy what you are doing,” Vettel added.
“Ours is a job that few can do, and I believe that all of us in helmets and overalls should always show that we appreciate it, are happy to do it, to enjoy a time that a little while ago we said was not infinite. This is the key for me.”