Helmut Marko insists Vettel has no future with Ferrari following Russian Grand Prix fiasco – Daily Mail, Daily Mail

Sebastian Vettelhas been told by the man who discovered him that his Ferrari career is over.

Helmut Marko, motor sport adviser to Red Bull, guided the German through the junior ranks, handing him his Toro Rosso debut in 2007 before overseeing his four consecutive world titles at the start of the decade.

Like most observers at last Sunday’s Russian Grand Prix, Marko was taken aback by how Vettel was embarrassed by Ferrari.

Despite earning £ 37 million a year and supposedly being the Scuderia’s No 1 driver, Vettel was told pre-race that if he jumped from third to first at the start he must hand the lead back to team-mate Charles Leclerc.

The 21 – year-old Leclerc is the rising star with six poles and two wins this season but it is almost unbelievable that Ferrari would effectively prevent Vettel from winning so that that the junior man might. In the end, Hamilton took the victory after Vettel’s engine failed and Ferrari kept pointing the gun at their own feet.

Marko, who has previously backed Vettel to rekindle his form and career, said: ‘Ferrari managed not to win despite having the fastest cars. And although he was the faster man, they sacrificed Sebastian. He has no future at Ferrari anymore. ‘

Vettel, 32, has won just once in the last 13 months. He is contracted until the end of 2020 but it is now a question of whether his position is tenable or bearable. If he decided to quit, or Ferrari decided to push him, his deal could be paid out.

Jacques Villeneuve, champion in 1997, said: ‘Vettel set his car up for the race and was much faster. Now Ferrari have a serious problem.

‘They didn’t have to tell Vettel to return the place like that. They then spent the rest of the race thinking how to put Leclerc back in front. Karma punished them in the end. Vettel was faster and deserved to stay ahead. ‘

Although Vettel has appeared out of sorts for a while, on Sunday night he wafted away the notion he would retire from the sport.

There have been suggestions that he might return to Red Bull, where he won his titles, but team principal Christian Horner has said that chapter has closed.