Sebastian Vettel: Ferrari contract talks have already begun

A few weeks ago, if you had suggested to Sebastian Vettel he could potentially sign a new deal with Ferrari before the first race of the season, he would likely have laughed in your face.

The curtain-raising Australian Grand Prix in mid-March, however, was the first to fall victim to an invisible enemy. Eight others have since either been postponed or cancelled, with more expected to fall by the wayside.

So fast forward that period of time, and even now, by his own admission, there is every likelihood of the four-time champion putting pen to paper on another contract that would see him extend his association with the Scuderia beyond what is currently his sixth year before a wheel turns in anger, be it late June, early July, or beyond.

The enforced lockdown has allowed tentative discussions to start with team principal Mattia Binotto, and with a willingness on both sides to continue the partnership, you would assume it is only a matter of time before an agreement is reached.

“By the looks of it, the first grand prix is not due for a while, unfortunately, but it gives us more time to cover more ground,” said Vettel with regard to the negotiations.

“One of the key things for everyone, no matter whether you are in sports or not, is to remain patient.

“Looking at myself, it obviously depends on when we will have the first race. There is a chance we will have to make a decision before there will be that first race, and at the moment it looks like there will be no race before June or even July. We are all waiting.

“The main priority at first was to ensure that we dealt with the [coronavirus] situation in the right way, and therefore everything was put on hold. I can imagine that was the same everywhere, and it was the same for us.

“We will make progress, but I don’t think there’s a real timeline. Whether that’s before the first race or not, depends on when we have that first race.”

In the meantime, Vettel is attempting to keep himself as physically and as mentally sharp as possible for when the call comes to go racing again.

“Nobody likes to race in front of empty grandstands. I think it feels a bit odd.”

The 32-year-old German concedes to being “selfish” in wanting to race, and that it is “painful” not being able to drive, but he is astute enough to recognise the bigger picture as the world comes to terms with being under lockdown and social distancing.

Behind the scenes, F1 and the FIA are trying to put plans in place to resume as soon as is practicable, bearing in mind the restrictions affecting teams and race organisers across various countries.

Measures such as grands prix behind closed doors, two-day weekends, and triple, maybe even quadruple back-to-back events are being discussed.