Ferrari driver Vettel speaks to Sky Sports News' Craig Slater
Friday 17 April 2020 17:03, UK
Sebastian Vettel believes Formula 1's enforced hiatus will give himself and Ferrari the chance to "cover ground" with his contract talks.
Vettel, the four-time champion who endured a disappointing 2019 season with the Scuderia, sees his current deal expire at the end of this year.
But while Ferrari have been linked with several other drivers to partner Charles Leclerc, including Lewis Hamilton, they look set to retain Vettel - who admits there is now plenty of time to negotiate with the campaign delayed until at least the end of June due to the coronavirus crisis.
"We still have some more time in the next weeks, by the looks of it the first Grand Prix is not due for a while unfortunately," Vettel told Sky Sports News' Craig Slater.
"For sure it will give us some more time to cover ground in this time."
Vettel added: "There is a chance we will have to make a decision before there will be that first race. 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."
The 2020 season - depending on if and when it starts - could feasibly carry on into early-2021 to fit in more races, although there is no indication so far as to what would happen to drivers who see their contracts expire before then.
The latest plans discussed for the 2020 campaign centre on starting the season in Austria in early July, followed by two races at Silverstone - although the season schedule is still very much up in the air.
F1 still hope for 18 races, but Vettel said that even if there are fewer races than that, it wouldn't make winning a championship any less special.
"A season is a season, whether 10, 20 or 25 races," he explained. "So you still have to be the one who is most consistent with less races, and every race is then more important.
"But in the end the championship would still be the championship. It's still a long way, a single race weekend is a long way, so with 10 races there would still be a lot of things to get right."
Vettel also paid a fitting tribute to Sir Stirling Moss, the legendary F1 driver who passed away earlier this week at the age of 90.
"[He's a] great person and obviously a very, very great racing driver," added Vettel. "He will always be remembered as one of the great drivers in Formula 1.
"If you look at just F1 he didn't win the world championship but he definitely deserved to do so, and he had lots of very good races outside of F1. I think he pretty much achieved everything you can achieve. There's not many who can compare themselves with him.
"I think what really stays is the fact that he was such a charismatic guy, nice person, and true gentleman. For sure he will be missed."
