BERLIN: Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel is being kept occupied by entertaining his children during the Formula One break enforced by the coronavirus crisis but hopes to agree a new contract before racing restarts.
“There’s been lots of variety, both German-speaking, English-speaking, in terms of offers to do stuff with the kids like courses and stuff online which help,” Vettel told reporters in a conference call on Thursday.
“But in general, we’re definitely not getting bored and not running out of ideas. They keep us busy!”
Germany’s Vettel, 32, has kept training with the season unable to start and has used the time to discuss a new deal with Ferrari bosses. His current contract expires at the end of the year.
“The main priority at first was to ensure that we’re all dealing with the situation in the right way,” he said. “Therefore, everything was put on hold and I can imagine that’s the same everywhere else and it was the same for us.”
But an end could be in sight before he returns to the car.
“It depends when we will have the first race,” he said.
“There is a high chance we will have to make a decision before there will be the first race because at the moment it looks like there will be no race before June or even July.”
Vettel is a four-time world champion with Red Bull but has not been able to claim a title in five attempts with Ferrari.
But despite the emergence of his teammate Charles Leclerc, tied down to 2024, as a potential world champion, Ferrari are still keen to retain Vettel when his contract expires after this year.
Vettel said he didn’t know how long a new deal would cover. “Normally the contracts I’ve had in the past were all three-year deals,” he said.
“I know I’m one of the more experienced drivers in Formula 1 but I’m not the oldest and I don’t think there’s an age limit in this regard.”
The first nine races of the F1 season were postponed or cancelled due to the global pandemic but organizers reportedly hope to begin the campaign in Austria on July 5.
“That sensation of driving, there’s nothing really that can replace that, so that’s what we’re waiting for,” said Vettel.
While others immediately embraced virtual racing, Vettel has been a late convert.
“The truth is I didn’t have a simulator until a couple of days ago, so I haven’t been tempted because I didn’t have the chance,” he said.
“I have heard a lot of things about it, so I figured I should get one and try, but I still need to set it up properly. Generally I am not going to foresee a career in sim racing – I think it is more something to try for fun.”
When real life competition does resume, it is likely that the first races of a revamped 2020 calendar would be behind closed doors.
“Probably at the very beginning the first couple of races will be compromised compared to what we’re used to but hopefully not too much because obviously we want to race in a way that we are all familiar with, meaning in front of crowds, in front of fans, with great atmosphere and so on,” said Vettel. “We will see.” – dpa
