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Why 2020 will be a defining year for Vettel

One of the most significant stories during Formula 1's lockdown period was the news Sebastian Vettel will be leaving Ferrari at the end of the year. But there's still one more - potentially awkward - season with the Scuderia ahead of an uncertain future

When four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel's move to Ferrari was announced back in November 2014, both were in need of a boost. Vettel had suffered a disappointing season alongside Daniel Ricciardo at Red Bull, and the Ferrari-Fernando Alonso relationship had come to an end with no world titles.

For Vettel, the move to Maranello was the fulfilment of a long-held dream to follow in the footsteps of his hero, Michael Schumacher. Like Schumacher, Vettel wanted to build a team around him and restore Ferrari to its former greatness.

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Author Luke Smith

Luke Smith is Autosport’s Formula 1 reporter. Luke has been working in F1 as a journalist since 2013, initially alongside a History degree at University College London. Luke served as the lead F1 writer at American broadcaster NBC Sports from 2013-17 before spending two years as the F1 Editor for Crash.net. Luke joined Autosport for the 2020 season.

Luke is also a contributor to The New York Times for its F1 special reports, and has previously worked with Al Jazeera and CNBC, as well as hosting FIA press conferences. Outside of F1, Luke is a fan of sports and music, with an ever-growing vinyl collection, and has being bitten by the running bug in recent years. He also runs a surprisingly popular blog reviewing the often-terrible media centre coffee from his F1 travels.