Categories: F1 News, Reports and Race ResultsFerrari

Vettel doubts Red Bull will quit F1

Sebastian Vettel doubts Red Bull will be forced to follow through with its quit threats and leave F1.

Red Bull currently does not have a power unit deal for 2016, having terminated its partnership with Renault a year early and been turned down by Mercedes. While a Ferrari power unit deal could still be possible, Red Bull has threatened to quit F1 if it doesn't receive a competitive engine.

Having left the team at the end of last season, when asked during a Q&A on the official Formula One website if he could have foreseen Red Bull's situation, Vettel replied: "No, nobody could.

"There are a lot of rumours in the air and I have not spoken with Mr Mateschitz lately, but it is hard to believe that it could really happen. It would mean a huge loss. But in the end I doubt that it will happen. That’s my position - and I don't think I stand alone on it."

Having struggled in 2014 off the back of four consecutive championships, Vettel says he enjoyed his time at Red Bull but knew when it was right to leave.

"The four titles speak volumes. For sure, 2014 was not a nice season. I was not performing the way I wanted to perform - and if that happens it is more honest to show your feelings and not hide behind a fake smile. So about the same time last year I understood that it was time to move on. And the stage I am at now proved me right.

"I am very happy with how things worked out. Sure, when I joined Ferrari there was never any guarantee in terms of results, but now it is nice to know that we’ve exceeded all kinds of expectations, including mine - maybe."

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Andrew Lewin

Andrew first became a fan of Formula 1 during the time when Michael Schumacher and Damon Hill were stepping into the limelight after the era of Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell and Aryton Senna. He's been addicted ever since, and has been writing about the sport now for nearly a quarter of a century for a number of online news sites. He's also written professionally about GP2 (now Formula 2), GP3, IndyCar, World Rally Championship, MotoGP and NASCAR. In his other professional life, Andrew is a freelance writer, social media consultant, web developer/programmer, and digital specialist in the fields of accessibility, usability, IA, online communities and public sector procurement. He worked for many years in magazine production at Bauer Media, and for over a decade he was part of the digital media team at the UK government's communications department. Born and raised in Essex, Andrew currently lives and works in south-west London.