Sebastian Vettel has allegedly touched base with McLaren regarding a seat with the Woking-based outfit in 2021 according to reports from Spanish media.
Formula 1's silly season appears to start earlier with each passing year, with Spain's Marca jumping on the rumor bandwagon this week, contending that Vettel has supposedly been in contact with McLaren F1 boss Andreas Seidl about a seat with the papaya squad in the future.
The underlying - flimsy - logic behind the gossip is the fact that Vettel and Seidl know each other well, with their relationship going back to 2006, when the former tested for BMW Sauber as a young apprentice while the latter was working at Hinwil.
The pair have apparently remained in contact since, and the prospect of joining a team on the rise that will be powered by Mercedes from 2021 could be enticing to Vettel.
Needless to say, in the event of Vettel's unlikely arrival at Woking, it would entail the departure of either Carlos Sainz or Lando Norris, or another far-fetched scenario.
But wait, there's more! Marca has also heard through its grapevine that Daniel Ricciardo - unsure of Renault's future in F1 - might have also put in a call to McLaren!
While everyone and their dog speculates about Vettel's future, perhaps the most reasonable prediction regarding the Ferrari driver comes from his close friend, former F1 supremo Bernie Ecclstone.
"Recently, I have not seen his willingness to do anything to win," the 89-year-old told Auto Bild.
"I would not bet on Vettel staying beyond 2020. But he’ll make the right decision."
And so will McLaren...
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