After Sebastian Vettel’s shocking announcement that he will leave Ferrari at the end of the 2020 season, speculation began immediately as to which driver would replace him at the Scuderia, and what the domino effect of such a move might be.
Today we have official confirmation that Renault’s Daniel Ricciardo has signed a multi-year deal with McLaren, replacing Carlos Sainz who is set to leave the British outfit at the end of the year.
The 30-year old Ricciardo, still one of the most talented drivers on the grid, will team up with Lando Norris at McLaren (also confirmed for 2021). The two could become quite the dynamic duo, especially with their team set to switch from Renault power to Mercedes engines come 2021.
“Signing Daniel is another step forward in our long-term plan and will bring an exciting new dimension to the team, alongside Lando. This is good news for our team, partners and of course our fans,” said McLaren Racing boss Zak Brown. “I also want to pay tribute to Carlos for the excellent job he has been doing for McLaren in helping our performance recovery plan. He is a real team player and we wish him well for his future beyond McLaren.”
Speaking of Sainz’s future, the Spanish driver has already been linked with Ferrari, with Autosport reporting that an official announcement is expected in the coming days, confirming Sainz as Charles Leclerc’s new teammate from 2021.
Where does this leave Vettel?
Without a seat, for now. The four-time title winner reportedly rejected an offer from McLaren, as he did not wish to find out whether or not the outfit’s partnership with Mercedes would be an immediate success.
If he’s hoping to land a competitive seat straight away, it seems there are just two landing spots worth considering. One would be to replace Valtteri Bottas at Mercedes (a long shot, as he might clash with Lewis Hamilton), or simply take Ricciardo’s spot at Renault.
Who would you like to see Vettel race for come 2021? Bare in mind that if he doesn’t find a suitable team, it’s actually possible he might retire – a shame, since he’s just 32 years old.