It was a shocking decision to hear Sebastian Vettel leaving Ferrari at the end of this season, but this move of his could create a major driver reshuffle for the 2021 season. Getting a race seat in Ferrari is a dream for many and probably we will be seeing someone leaving their existing seat for this opportunity of a lifetime.
One name that is being tossed around a lot right now is McLaren’s Carlos Sainz. The 25-year-old Spaniard radiated great potential after his move from Renault, and even finishing sixth in the drivers’ championship last year in a team that was struggling in the past few years.
Daniel Ricciardo has also been tipped of being Seb’s replacement in Ferrari. Having displayed great potential back at Red Bull, his move to Renault surprised many and that venture of his has not been going that well so far. Perhaps he will not think twice if this opening is being offered to him? Also, Dan’s contract with Renault ends this year, so that somehow fits the picture too well.
One thing for sure, we also should not discount the probability of new drivers outside F1, or even retired F1 drivers. It will be such a surprise if suddenly Fernando Alonso were to make a comeback, or Felipe Massa. Or to just spice things up, Nico Rosberg.
Now with all these talks, the story will not stop there as the ripple effect will continue to other teams. It is like playing musical chair and it will just get trickier when someone outside the current F1 drivers’ line up is being brought in to fill the seats. This means that this could be the last time we are seeing either one of the drivers with the big catch of not knowing who it is.