Max Verstappen, during an interview for Puma conducted on Instagram by David Coulthard, said that according to him, it will not be Daniel Ricciardo to replace Vettel as a Ferrari driver, but Carlos Sainz.

"The speculation was going on a bit, is he going to continue with Ferrari or not – well today it’s out, he’s not", Verstappen said. "I guess also very soon we’ll find out who the replacement is going to be".

"It’s definitely not me, I can tell you. I’m at Red Bull. I saw some questions coming along if I was going to Ferrari, but I’m not. It is what it is. Somebody else gets an opportunity to drive now for Ferrari, and of course it’s a great team, and I’m sure they will make the right decision about the next driver. Let’s see what’s going to happen there".

"I think it’s not going to be the Italian sounding name. Let’s see. At the end of the day, it’s just a guess. We’ll have to wait and see", said eventually Verstappen.

It was not only Verstappen who spoke about Sebastian Vettel's farewell to Ferrari. Even Sergio Perez, infact, asked on the subject, said that Vettel is more likely to choose to retire rather than continue his career in another team.

"We'd heard things were maybe not going well", explained Segio Perez. "Both sides not feeling as the years before. I think the Leclerc factor has been key there. Their bet for the future is clearly this young driver who has done an incredible first season with the team and I think from that you could see many other things stem".

"Maybe during this lockdown he has realised many things, and it has served him to reflect. It will depend on how much he wants it. His options to continue could be McLaren maybe, but I doubt it. It could be probably his last year in F1. I see him closer to retirement than to a different team, but we don't know. I speak more as a fan, I don't know exactly what's going through his mind".

"In the end, sometimes you don't understand why a driver fits and another one doesn't. It will depend on their interests, what they are looking for from that driver inside the team. We're about to learn who that is. Both are very good options for the team. Carlos has had a great season with McLaren and, in the end in F1, you have to remember this is about the moment, about opportunities, there is a very short memory. He has high chances, and he deserves it".

"I think he is a great professional, an excellent driver, very hard-working, he understands the races well, he knows how to make the most of his opportunities, and well, I think it is a well-deserved opportunity to be considered beside Leclerc. He's young also, he has everything ahead of him", told Perez.

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