Who will replace Vettel in Ferrari? We found 5 options.

Daniel Riccardo

The Aussie looks like the most obvious candidate. He has speed, reputation and Italian roots. Dan himself has repeatedly expressed sympathy for Scuderia, and in winter his contract expires.

Riccardo has a lot of advantages. He has a livable character that will help to take root in the poisonous atmosphere of Maranello. According to Bernie Ecclestone, they do not say anything in person, but all the time weave conspiracies.

Daniel is loved by fans. For Ferrari, this is important, because its pilots should be the stars and favorites of the public. In fact, Riccardo is now one of the two real Formula 1 stars who are not in favor of the top team (we’ll talk about the second later). And he is just a very strong racer.

Judge for yourself: Dan dealt with Vettel in their joint year, spent two generally equal seasons with Verstappen and showed Hulkenberg how the top pilot differs from a strong middle peasant.

But the Australian has his own minuses. The main one is age. 30-year-old Riccardo simply can not afford to wait for a chance: Dan must take his own right now. Having gone to Renault, Daniel hoped to become the leader of the top team before she even reached the top. But with the transfer of the new regulations, Enstone’s progress is delayed. Dan has only two options: to sign a contract with Renault for at least three more years (before they won’t become a leader) or to run now.

What is the minus? The fact that Riccardo obviously will not play along with the rising star of Charles Lecler. The Australian must tear and throw in order to return to the status of the applicant for the title. But can he?

An example of Red Bull showed that when a team clearly puts on another guy, Dan prefers to leave. Ferrari now clearly puts on Lecler. Is the Australian able to pull sympathy and prove on the track who the first number is?

In general, Riccardo is immediately both the best and the worst option. He is ready to be a leader right now, but he is unlikely to wait until leadership comes into his hands.

Carlos Sainz

Another graduate of the Red Bull program, who left the system because of Max Verstappen. Carlos was frankly unlucky with age – he did not manage to get into F1 during the arrival of Vettel and Leclair, and then gave way to the younger Quat and Verstappen. Yes, Max and Carlos came to the world championship in one year, but the Dutchman was announced earlier.

Like in the younger series, in Formula 1 Sainz Jr. harnessed for a long time. Because of this, the Spaniard lost his chance at a place in Red Bull, fled to Renault, lost to Hulkenberg, but still ended up in McLaren. Carlos’s talent was visible for a long time, but he led to the result only last year: the Spaniard deservedly became the “best of the rest”, befitting both of the second Red Bull pilots.

Carlos Sainz, McLaren Racing

Photo: Zach Mauger / Motorsport Images

Carlos, in general, does not need to go to a Ferrari. He is a leader in an elite team that is not at the top, but will surely return to it soon. Unlike Riccardo, Sainz can wait another couple of years, remaining at the peak of form. But there are some “buts” too.

In Woking, Carlos is next to Lando Norris, a local favorite and the hope of British racing. But practice shows that the combination of the Spanish leader and British talent at McLaren does not lead to good.

Joking as a joke, but few doubt that in a direct collision, the team will choose Norris. And by the time McLaren will fight for the titles, Lando will just reach the peak (if at all). Therefore, an instant jump into the top team for Carlos makes sense.

As for Ferrari, here they can see in Sainz a reliable fighter who almost always takes the maximum possible points. Another thing is that Carlos did not show the ability to jump above his head. And without this skill now in Scuderia for a personal title you can not catch. But in the Cup of Designers such a stable fighter would be invaluable. Yes, and with Leclair, for sure, Sainz’s relationship would be better than Vettel’s.

In general, Sainz is a reliable option, but not stellar. He will certainly be a worthy rival to Leclair if the best car is built in Maranello. But it is unlikely to be able to win the race against faster cars.

Mick Schumacher

The pandemic hit the racing world at the most unfortunate moment for Mick. The son of a seven-time champion has already shown that he is gaining the best shape for the second year in the series. And after last year’s tenth place and one victory in Formula 2 from Schumacher Jr., they slowly began to wait for first place and ten victories. However, as the crumpled season will affect the German, it is difficult to predict.

Mick’s invitation to Maranello seems self-evident: Vettel was also taken here as the “new Schumacher”. Why not take a real new Schumacher? The German’s talent is still difficult to assess, but no matter what he says, his name means a lot. Do we know how Ferrari loves hype?

Mick Schumacher, Prema Racing

Photo: Joe Portlock / Motorsport Images

Mick’s transition to Formula 1 and immediately to Scuderia seemed logical when changing the rules. A novice would learn the rules on a par with everyone else, which would reduce the loss of adaptation. Now the situation has changed. Do I need to pull a young guy in F1 a year before changing the rules? Moreover, immediately in Maranello.

In such a situation, it would be wise to leave Vettel for another year, and Mika would either be held in Formula 2 or sent to Alfa Romeo. But will Sebastian sign a one-year contract? Unless Andrea Agnelli personally vows to provide him with the fastest car.

Kimi Raikkonen

And here’s the option in case Schumacher in Maranello is planned for the 20th year, and Vettel does not want to stay for a year. Kimi is the second full-fledged F1 star outside the top teams. Fans still love him, and as the first half of last season shows, he is still fast.

Raikkonen enjoys a career at Alfa Romeo. You don’t have to miss a partner there, you can fight with a dozen rivals, and no one forces you to go to social receptions. But if the Finns are finally offered to drive in a potentially champion car, he is unlikely to refuse.

Kimi Raikkonen, Alfa Romeo Racing

Photo: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

Kimi is stable and knows how to work for a team, he has a name and a reputation. True, the Finn frankly failed last fall, and while it is difficult to judge, it was the case in the car, or age began to affect. What kind of Finn will be by 2022 is all the more incomprehensible.

And one more thing: it’s one thing to work for the four-time world champion Vettel, and it’s quite another to help young Lecler. Suddenly Kimi will buck? Of course, we would have looked at it. But Mattia Binotto probably already seen enough.

Fernando Alonso

The craziest option you could think of. Yes, 73-year-old Emerson Fittipaldi or Ashot bus driver would do better. Yes, Nando destroys all the teams around him, and few people want to work with him. But hell, this is a dream option.

We do not know in what form Alonso and what he is really capable of right now. By 2021, there will be a two-year pause in his career, which no Dakars and Indy 500 can compensate for. And before leaving, he was more engaged in chatter, and the victory over Stoffel Vandorn can not be considered an achievement at all. But this is still Fernando Alonso.

Fernando Alonso, Toyota Gazoo Racing, Toyota Hilux (No. 310)

Photo: A.S.O.

If the Spaniard where and should get a second (in fact, about the fifth) chance, then in Ferrari. Where he personally lost at least two championships. Where he was closest in his career to real greatness, but could not reach him.

If Nando retained at least 70% of his skills, then he will now enter the top 5 best pilots in the world. He has enough motivation for three, a dozen fans’ love.

Of course, hiring Alonso Binotto would have to hire a personal cardiologist at the same time. But he could be the guy who still brought Fernando the third title. With this go down in history. With equal probability, you can plunge into history. Riccardo is the best Ferrari, but at the same time the worst. Alonso is a terrible option, but at the same time incredibly tempting.

–