Vettel only negotiating with Ferrari

Sebastian Vettel says he is only negotiating with Ferrari over a new contract for 2021.

Earlier, amid intense speculation about his future, the German was linked with a potential switch to McLaren.

But the 32-year-old quadruple world champion says he is talking only to Ferrari.

"I think I had made that clear before," German media reports quote him as saying. "It’s not part of the discussion."

Vettel said he is expecting negotiations to be complete before Formula 1’s interrupted 2020 season begins.

"The likelihood of this is high," he said. "We won’t be racing before June or July. We don’t have a timetable, but we surely have enough time to find a solution and discuss the issue before it starts again."

He says there is no rush amid the global pandemic.

"Everything that wasn’t immediately important was put on hold. Firstly it was about the welfare of the employees," said Vettel.

"The top priority is how we all deal with this situation."

There has been speculation of a one-year deal for Vettel, but he indicated that he would prefer a longer one.

"In the past, I’ve always had three-year contracts," he said. "I have experience but I’m not the oldest. Age shouldn’t be a limiting factor."

Finally, Vettel said he would not reveal publicly whether he has agreed to take a pay-cut amid the coronavirus crisis.

"I’m not fond of communicating something like this. I don’t want to take advantage of the situation to polish up my image in public," he said.