Marko: Vettel won’t be dictated to by Ferrari

Ferrari could have a struggle on its hands this season trying to bring Sebastian Vettel into line, says Helmut Marko.

The 2020 championship will be the four-time World Champion’s final season with Ferrari having announced last month that the two no longer have a “common desire” to work together.

That the announcement came before even the first race of the season was a surprise to rival bosses with Mercedes’ Toto Wolff saying several times that was not a call he would have made.

Red Bull advisor Marko reckons it could cause a few headaches with Vettel potentially unwilling to play the team game.

“Seb will certainly not let himself be told anything,” Motorsport-total.com quotes Marko as having told RTL.

The Austrian also weighed in on why he believes Vettel has walked away from Ferrari.

After five years at Ferrari without a World title, 2020 – at least according to the test timesheet – does not look as if it will be the year to yield a fifth crown for Vettel.

Ferrari struggled in testing, prompting many at the team to concede the start of the 2020 championship will be a difficult one.

Marko added: “The fact that Sebastian did not renew his contract is probably due to the fact that he did not see the technical potential that would help him to win another title.

“If I assume that the test times in Barcelona [from February] have a certain meaningfulness, then I do not think that Ferrari will absolutely belong to the top teams.”

Marko would like to see Vettel head to Mercedes, although the Brackley squad has told Valtteri Bottas that the German is not in contention for his race seat.

But whether that is just for 2021 or forever, Marko reckons Vettel could sit out next year’s campaign and return in 2022 to a “winning team”.

“That would be great for motorsport,” he said. “Vettel versus Hamilton in a Mercedes, what could be better?

“Two years ago they would always have 1st and 2nd place. I hope we [Red Bull] are so close now to preventing that from happening.

“If he doesn’t get the Mercedes seat, it makes sense to take a year off.

“Watch what happens for a year.

“For 2022 there will be a completely new set of regulations and the budget limit.

“So there will be a complete reorganisation, and I see his situation as an opportunity for him to join a winning team. ”

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