Vettel keeps door ajar for Lewis
SEBASTIAN VETTEL has kept alive the possibility of Lewis Hamilton joining Ferrari by refusing to commit his own future to the Italian team. Despite paddock gossip, Vettel insisted that no decision about his future would be revealed at this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix or, more importantly, during Ferrari’s home race at Monza next week. Ferrari said in July that they had offered the German a new threeyear deal but he said: ‘I don’t expect news within the next two weeks.’ Vettel wants a short extension to allow him to review his options a
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year later. He could then, in theory, go to Mercedes, where Hamilton’s contract expires at the end of 2018. But if Vettel left Ferrari after this season could he and Hamilton spend a year together? Hamilton scoffed, hinting that such a deal would not please Vettel, who enjoys being undisputed No 1 at Ferrari. ‘He doesn’t want to be my team-mate,’ said Hamilton. ‘He wouldn’t be in the position he is now in his team in terms of how they operate, if he was here.’