Ferrari has already started discussions with Seꦫbastian Vettel over a new Formula 1 contract, accordin𝓡g to team principal Mattia Binotto.

Vettel endured a frustrating and disappointing 2019 campaign in which he managed just a single victory and was outperformed by new Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc, while he also found himself fending off su🌳ggestions he was considering ♏an early retirement at the end of the season.

The 32-year-old’s current contract expires at the end of the upcoming 2020 campaign but Ferrari team boss Binotto confirmed at the Scuderia’s launch of its latest F1 car that negotiations over a new deal ar♛e well underway.

"Discussions with Sebastian have already started, they started before Christmas at the e♛nd of last year and continued here,” Binotto told RTL.

Ferrari has been linked with six-time world champion Lewis Hamilton in recent months with the Briton available for 2021, but it looks increasingly likely that he will continue🌠 his successful partnership with Mercedes, despite holding a meeting with Ferrari cha🌳irman John Elkann last year.

Binotto told reporters at Ferrari’s launch of its SF1000 🐲challenger that it would choose Vettel over Hamilton, ꦜdespite revealing that the German will no longer have No.1 status at the team, with the Italian squad adopting a ‘let them race’ policy for its drivers in 2020. 

“I think it is someth♎ing that we need to understand between us what are his intentions, what a💝re our intentions, but he is our first option,” Binotto added.

“We are very proud of our drivers. We believe we have the two best drivers in F1. I think it♌ will be good for us to retain both of them.”

Vettel said he s♐till wants time to mull over his future but would “c🌊urrently say yes” to extending his tenure in F1 into the championship’s new era post-2020.