Webber: Relationship over between 'empty' Vettel and Ferrari

Mark Webber says that all signs point to a dissolved relationship between the Aussie's former Red Bull teammate Sebastian Vettel and Ferrari.

Vettel's opening race of the 2020 season with the Scuderia resulted in a lowly P10 finish, salvaged after the German had collided with McLaren's Carlos Sainz while battling for seventh in the early part of the event.

But Webber especially noted Vettel's "empty" demeanor after the race, a sure sign in the former F1 driver's view that the love between team and driver has now evaporated.

"The relationship is over, the chemisty is gone, the marriage is over," Webber said on an In the Fast Lane podcast.

"Sebastian is dressed in red, he’s driving a red car but he’s there for himself. In some scenarios you'd wish that it could be over now, because that's pretty much how it's looking.

"From a dynamic perspective, I think Sebastian was empty after the race. I think the Seb scenario, the sooner that's over, the better for everyone concerned."

• Vettel rejects Binotto claim that pandemic led to 2021 driver changes

Webber also underscored the way Vettel was informed of his exit from Maranello at the end of the year - by a phone call from team boss Mattia Binotto, and which speaks volumes about the fractured nature of the partnership.

"I think it surprised most of us, Sebastian probably the most," commented Webber.

"Even the way he was told, over the phone and not making an effort to get in front of him...

"Clearly that relationship, or the dynamic of how that was going, wasn't healthy and they thought it was best to not continue.

"You can't be half-pregnant with these contracts. It's not like it was a one-year contract, or the stuff the press was trying to talk about that Sebastian was going back to them and wanting a more long-term agreement.

"But that wasn't even tabled. It wasn't something Ferrari weren't even considering."

As for Vettel's future plans, barring any unforeseen circumstances, a spot on the grid for 2021 seems very unlikely. But a return to the fray in 2022 could happen says Webber.

"I think he still has a chance to get something in '22. Who knows, maybe '21 at Red Bull?" he said.

"I think he needs to get the energy and re-invent himself and de-Maranello his mind, in terms of trying to get that energy back.

"It's just slowly spiraled in a downward cycle with his relationship with Ferrari.

I think he's still going to be on the grid in the future, whether it's '22 or '21. I think he's still got a bit left in him."

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