Red Bull and Vettel deny any deal with Ferrari for 2014
As the BBC revealed in South Korea the supposed existence of an agreement between Sebastian Vettel and Ferrari for 2014, the German formally denied the claims in India while the Red Bull team assures that the reigning double world champion will indeed defend the Red Bull colors in 2014 and hopes beyond.
The day after the South Korean Grand Prix, the BBC claimed that Sebastian Vettel had signed a deal with Ferrari to drive for the Prancing Horse in 2014, contingent on good results in 2013. Formally denied by the Italian team on social media or by president Luca di Montezemolo, who doesn’t want « two roosters in the same henhouse », the information was also denied by Red Bull, which asserted that the BBC article was « factually incorrect ».
The extension of Felipe Massa’s contract for the one and only 2013 season only fueled the rumors, and understandably, in India, the men from Milton Keynes couldn’t dodge the questions. Thus, after stating last spring that there was a performance clause in the contract binding the double world champion German to the Milton Keynes team, Helmut Marko, however, assured this weekend that the Heppenheim native’s contract was bulletproof.
For his part, Christian Horner, director of the Austrian team, stated as early as Friday that without a shadow of a doubt, Sebastian Vettel will be part of the Red Bull Racing team in 2014. The Briton had the opportunity to elaborate further after the race: “Sebastian and the team have strong relations. We know exactly where we stand today and for the future,” Horner told the BBC. “Of course, all the team members read the media, they go on the internet, so it was important to dispel the rumors that he might go elsewhere. I did it the day the rumors started circulating. Sebastian has been with us since he was 12 or 13 years old. He has competed in all his Grand Prix in cars designed by Red Bull [exception of the 2007 United States Grand Prix raced in a BMW-Sauber, ed.]. He is very happy to be part of this team, he is an important element of it, and hopefully, it will continue for many years to come. […] I can’t believe a driver wouldn’t want a contract with Red Bull at the moment.”
But the main person involved himself had the opportunity to address the rumors when a journalist from Sky Sports asked him if he could categorically deny any contract with Ferrari for the future: « Yes, I can deny it. I don’t have the slightest agreement or obligation [with Ferrari, ed. note], »
This Sunday, present for the first time of the weekend alongside Fernando Alonso in front of the media during the post-race press conference, Sebastian Vettel had another opportunity to deny the rumors when a journalist from Bild Zeitung asked the Spaniard and the German if they each wanted something from the other, leading to a rather comical exchange between the two champions:
– Sebastian Vettel: « Pourrais-je … ? Ah, non tu as une casquette [aux couleurs de Ferrari, ndlr]. J’allais dire sa casquette mais … Où est-ce que tu l’as eu ? »
– Fernando Alonso: « Je peux te la donner mais … Je n’ai pas compris là … »
– Sebastian Vettel: « Je pense que nous sommes tous les deux heureux de ce que nous avons. »
