Opinions are mixed on whether Sebastian Vettel would adhere to any team orders issued by Ferrari to help Charles Leclerc in 2020.
This season increasingly looks like being a farewell tour for the four-time world champion as he prepares to leave the Italian team with few options elsewhere on the Formula 1 grid for next year.
But because he doesn’t have the pressure of trying to carry Ferrari anymore or worry about the ramifications of his actions, Sky Sports pundit Martin Brundle is predicting the Vettel of old may return.
“I think Vettel will fly, to be honest,” the former McLaren driver commented.
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“In the past, he has given very little attention to team orders with him and [Mark] Webber at Red Bull, and him and [Charles] Leclerc at Ferrari.
“He will have no interest in that, will he? He’ll be driving for himself. There’s no doubt about that.
“Whether he fancies staying in F1? I’m sure he probably does,” Brundle added. “Does he fancy a works Renault drive or something of that ilk? That remains to be seen.
“But I think he’ll be mighty. I don’t think he’s lost any speed. I think he might have lost a little bit of judgement in close combat, but I think it’s going to be fascinating.
“Quite clearly Ferrari will favour their man for the future, Leclerc, but then many would say they did last year anyway.”
On the contrary, however, former Ferrari boss Stefano Domenicali believed the soon to be 33-year-old will know better than to work against his own team.
“I don’t know the contractual dynamics, but I know that Seb is a professional,” he told Italy’s Il Resto del Carlino newspaper.
“Whatever happens, he will behave correctly.”