"Vettel is one of the greatest talents in motorsport," says FIA president Todt, while Grosjean expresses surprise that the German is leaving Ferrari for 2021
Friday 22 May 2020 06:09, UK
Any Formula 1 team would be "very lucky" to have Sebastian Vettel in their line-up for 2021, according to FIA president Jean Todt.
Four-time champion Vettel's Ferrari career will end at the end of this year after they decided to part ways after six seasons of mixed fortunes.
Should he want to stay in F1, then the 32-year-old's options of a front-running drive already appear very limited - but Todt, Ferrari's most successful team boss of all time, believes the German should not be written off.
"Sebastian Vettel is one of the greatest talents in motorsport," said Todt in an exclusive interview with Sky Sports.
"An announcement has been made that he will not drive for the team beyond 2020.
"There are a lot of other opportunities. We can only wish him the best and I mean that. Whoever will take him will be very lucky."
Initial links to McLaren were quickly quashed when the Woking team signed Daniel Ricciardo to replace the Ferrari-bound Carlos Sainz.
Red Bull, Vettel's former outfit, have said it is "enormously unlikely" they will pair the German with Max Verstappen, while any prospect of Mercedes teaming Lewis Hamilton up with Vettel also appears remote.
Renault will need to replace Ricciardo, but Fernando Alonso and others are in the frame there too.
Although only in his early-mid 30s, Vettel could also conceivably walk away from the sport for either a break - or for good.
Speaking on the Sky F1 Vodcast, Romain Grosjean echoed the comments of Jenson Button by admitting he found it a "big surprise" Vettel was leaving Maranello.
"I was surprised by some of the decisions, in some ways," said the Haas driver of last week's inter-linked driver moves.
"I probably wouldn't have done the same. One of the big surprises is Sebastian because I was quite convinced he would carry on with Ferrari.
"Things unfold in an interesting way."
