Ferrari deny Vettel links

Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo has denied reports that Sebastian Vettel will join the team for the 2014 season.

Vettel’s future is once again the subject of intense speculation with several reports claiming he has agreed to join Ferrari for the 2014 season.

Vettel has often spoken of his desire to join Ferrari in the future with the Maranello outfit also expressing their interest in the reigning world champion, but he is contracted to Red Bull until the end of the 2013 season.

While it was claimed there was a deal in place for the German to remain with Red Bull beyond 2013, the BBC reports that Ferrari have signed a contract with Vettel for 2014, depending on their results next year.

Red Bull have denied a deal between Vettel and Ferrari, but Red Bull adviser Dr Helmut Marko has suggested the world champion has a clause in his current contract, which would allow him to join a rival team.

With Fernando Alonso contracted to Ferrari until 2016, there have been suggestions that there could be huge tension between the potential team-mates, but the Spaniard is believed to have given his blessing to the deal.

Indeed, it has been reported that Alonso had a say in the identity of a potential team-mate with the former world champion vetoing a move for Lewis Hamilton following their unsuccessful partnership at McLaren.

However, di Montezemolo appears to have poured cold water on the rumours by making it clear he wants a recognised number one and number two driver within the team.

“I’ve always said that I don’t want two roosters in the hen-house. I don’t like that and it creates instability in the team,” Montezemolo told Italy’s Radio1.

Felipe Massa looks certain to stay with Ferrari for 2013, but if the reports of Vettel’s impending arrival are correct, the Brazilian will find himself without a drive in 2014.

Montezemolo admits he would never have dreamed Massa would be offered a new deal given his early season form.

“Undoubtedly, at half-season it was unthinkable to reconfirm Massa; now he’s meeting our expectations, tomorrow we’ll discuss it and then we’ll take the decision. Massa performed very well in Monza and in Japan; it is a Massa reborn,” Montezemolo added.

“I asked him to come to Maranello tomorrow and we’ll discuss it at length, I think that he’s always given a lot to Ferrari and that he built a good team spirit with Alonso. I put my stakes on him to gnaw points away from our adversaries.”