Vettel admitted Thursday in Austria that he was “surprised” when Binotto telephoned and told him that his contract would not extend beyond the 2020 season, as he had previously understood that it would continue.
Subsequently, the team announced that it had signed Carlos Sainz of McLaren.
Binotto reiterated on Friday that Vettel was indeed the team’s first choice during the winter, but the crisis and accompanying rule changes led to a change of plan.
“Certainly, we have always told him over the winter in private and in public that it would have been our first choice, which I confirm,” Binotto said.
“It is normal for many drivers to ask us during the winter if there are opportunities to drive for Ferrari, so they have contacted us. That did not change our position, so Seb was our first choice.”
“What happened since then? I think the virus and pandemic situation, which changed the whole world, not just our motorsports, our F1. The budget limit has changed a lot, and it’s much stricter, regulations have been postponed from ’21 to ’22, which was somehow important to us.
“Cars that have been frozen, or nearly frozen, by 2020 and ’21. So, let’s say the whole situation has changed.
“And on top of that, the season has not started, so there has been no opportunity even for Seb to get back on the track to demonstrate how much he was really motivated to drive for Ferrari, which has somehow been unfortunate for him.”
“So, during the shutdown as a Ferrari, we had to reconsider our position. We made a decision, so it was certainly our decision, it is our responsibility and we communicate with him.”
“I heard he was surprised. I remember being surprised, yes, certainly, I understand, it is quite normal to be surprised. While he accepted our decision, he would say that even today he is not completely happy with that, which he would do again. Saying is something which is normal and obvious. “
Despite the obvious tensions on the field due to the impending division, Binotto wanted to praise Vettel and the contribution he has made over the years.
“I think it has been a great period, five years so far, six with the current season. He is a great champion, but he is also a great person. I think everyone at Ferrari, our fans, the people who work internally, I really love the time with him.
“I think he is something we fully respect. I personally respect him a lot, as a professional and as a person, and I think that has not changed compared to our decision.”
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