Button could look elsewhere, but has consistently said he will not drive for
free and does not seem to have the appetite for driving lower down the grid.
There is a very slim possibility that Alonso may take a year’s sabbatical,
plotting a future with Mercedes from 2016, by which time Lewis Hamilton’s
contract will have expired. The Spaniard is believed to have approached Niki
Lauda, the Mercedes F1 chairman, but the runaway championship leaders do not
seem receptive. That leaves McLaren, with the return of Honda engines next
year, as his only option after Ferrari willingly gave Alonso permission to
end his contract a year early.
As late as yesterday afternoon, Red Bull believed Vettel would stay, and were
hopeful of nipping his flirtation with Ferrari in the bud in the weeks after
the next race in Sochi, on October 12. But when the German sent a text
message to his team principal at 21:45 on Friday night, asking for a
conversation in his hotel room, adjacent to the Suzuka circuit, Horner knew
the game was up. He did not try and change his driver’s mind.
Vettel then telephoned Dietrich Mateschitz, the Red Bull owner who has
supported the 27-year-old’s career for since he was 12, to pass on the news
and his thanks. His engineers were told on Saturday morning, a few hours
before the announcement was made public.
Daniil Kvyat, currently with the junior team, Toro Rosso, was only told of his
promotion yesterday morning. The 20-year-old Russian rookie will partner
Daniel Ricciardo – who has been a revelation this year, effectively seeing
off Vettel – in 2015.
Ferrari have not confirmed Vettel’s signing, but an announcement will be made
in the coming weeks. All that remains is for McLaren to overcome the last
hurdles in recapturing Alonso, signalling the final curtain call for Button.