4-time F1 champ Vettel to leave Ferrari after 2020 season

(FILES) In this file photo taken on December 1, 2019 Ferrari’s German driver Sebastian Vettel waves at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, ahead of the final race of the Formula One Grand Prix season. – Vettel will leave Ferrari at the end of the 2020 season, AFP reports on May 12, 2020. (Photo by GIUSEPPE CACACE / AFP)

Four-time Formula One world champion Sebastian Vettel on Tuesday said he would leave Ferrari at the end of the season, saying there was no “common desire” to work together any more.

No replacement was named for Vettel, who dominated F1 with Red Bull before switching to the Italian marque in 2015. He said his departure was a “joint decision.”

“My relationship with Scuderia Ferrari will finish at the end of 2020,” the 32-year-old German said in a statement from Ferrari.

“In order to get the best possible results in this sport, it’s vital for all parties to work in perfect harmony.

“The team and I have realized that there is no longer a common desire to stay together beyond the end of this season.”

Vettel, who has won 14 races with Ferrari, said financial considerations did not play any role in his decision. He said he would “reflect on what really matters when it comes to my future.”

Vettel’s departure will spark intense speculation about his replacement, with Mercedes’ reigning world champion Lewis Hamilton among the drivers previously linked with Ferrari.

“This is a decision taken jointly by ourselves and Sebastian, one which both parties feel is for the best,” team principal Mattia Binotto said.

“It was not an easy decision to reach, given Sebastian’s worth as a driver and as a person.

“There was no specific reason that led to this decision, apart from the common and amicable belief that the time had come to go our separate ways in order to reach our respective objectives.”