“But I’m very happy with where I am at the moment. Does it unsettle me? No.
For now the focus is entirely on this season.
“If you want to have a say on this year’s championship, you are much better
off being fully focused because as you can see it’s extremely tight, with a
lot of winners so far, so I need all my focus on this year.”
Vettel is also far from surprised at how open Domenicali has been with his
comment – something unlikely to have pleased team boss Christian Horner.
“Generally there is always something going round the paddock,” the 24-year-old
German said ahead of this weekend’s European Grand Prix, which he has won
for the last two years.
“Just a couple of weeks ago Mark [Webber] was being linked to Ferrari as a
potential driver for them for next year, so the media will always find
something to talk about.”
As far as Alonso is concerned, he has remarkably revealed having an input as
to who any potential team-mate might be.
Asked specifically whether he had previously had any involvement at any other
team when it came to selecting a team-mate, Alonso said: “In the past,
never. At Ferrari, yes.
“I’m in Italy every week, so when I’m there sometimes I see the president, I
see Stefano and we talk about many things, about the future and team-mates
as well.”
It is difficult to imagine Alonso wanting to have a team-mate who could upset
his number-one status within Ferrari.
He has suggested he would have “no problem” working with Vettel or even Lewis
Hamilton again, despite their previous fractious relationship at McLaren in
2007.
Alonso said: “Whatever team-mate comes in the future will be welcome, will be
part of the team and part of Ferrari.
“As I said when I joined this team, the most important thing in Ferrari is to
help each other to make one red car win.
“It’s something president [Luca] di Montezemolo is very clear on when you
arrive at Ferrari.
“So whoever my team-mate – if he comes – will be no problem, and we will try
to work together, as I do now with Felipe [Massa].”