F1 | Ferrari and the Vettel issue: the renewal of the German is fundamental for the Red team of the future

It is a gray attraction that scares Maranello, grappling not only with a new beginning, a new internal organisation, but also with a champion poised between two worlds, between dream and ambition, between the red to the dark one of strength. 2017 could be a moment, and 2018 is already there waiting threateningly, because in F1 we ​​always travel fast, also and above all when it comes to agreements and contracts.

And Ferrari needed everything except having Sebastian Vettel whose contract expires. Mercedes took Valtteri Bottas to replace Nico Rosberg, but the one-year contract (with an option for a second) cannot make one sleep peacefully. It seems that Brackley is firmly aiming for Vettel, who could comfortably sign in 2018 without even having to bother resolving the relationship with the Cavallino. It could be, however, that Seb himself is winking in some way at the already precarious seat of poor Valtteri, a reliable and professional boy who could be sacrificed on the altar of a possible dream team.

Vettel has embraced the Ferrari cause to relive the epic of his master Schumacher. The motivations - noble, very strong - of the German are known, and also his Ferrari heart. But the side romantic, having reached a certain point, he could clash with the pragmatism of the cannibal, with the ambition of someone who, a very young four-time world champion, does not want to end up forgotten too quickly, consigned to the dust of history books. Sebastian is one of the rare riders who lives for victory, like few others like him, and for the Red this quality can represent the classic double-edged sword.

With the championship underway, Maranello will have to make false claims to convince its star player to renew. It is in Vettel and on Vettel that future triumphs must be built, with patience. The usual rumors speak of Seb stalling, torn between his desire for Ferrari and that of (perhaps easy) victories. It is no mystery that the Gordian knot will be represented not so much by the 2017 single-seater, but by the general picture of Ferrari's competitiveness, especially in terms of the future. The group of technicians coordinated by Binotto worked hard to provide the drivers with a good single-seater, with the hope of being able to develop it well over the course of the season. Starting from a "neutral" base, with the aim of working on it and improving it, could prove to be a wise choice.

Well, if Ferrari shows signs of recovery it won't be so unlikely for them to get a renewal from a confident and motivated Sebastian again. And a winning team cannot do without a charismatic, hungry and talented leader like the German driver. Another tormented season, with a leaden future on the horizon, on the other hand, could increase Sebastian's nervousness and bad mood, pushing him to accept the courtship of the Three-Pointed Star. And seeing such a champion go away would represent yet another defeat for the Cavallino.

It will also be up to Seb to make an important choice. His mentor, in the late nineties, resisted the McLaren-Mercedes temptation, and history has proved him right. But Michael's was another Ferrari, on the rise, destined to dominate, while this one is still a question mark. In the midst of difficulties, however, we finally glimpse a project, a path undertaken with conviction. Will this be enough to hold Sebastian back?

Antonino Rendina

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