Ferrari team boss Maurizio Arrivabene believes Sebastian Vettel must deliver more if he wants to renew his contract post-2017.
The German’s first three-year deal expires at the end of next season but after a subdued period of results, an extension is not guaranteed yet.
“I do not think that we can conquer his confidence with [contract] renewals,” Arrivabene replied when asked how the team are looking to boost their driver.
“Sebastian just needs to focus on the car. He is a person who gives so much, and sometimes this means he is interested in a bit of everything. Sometimes you have to re-focus him, remind him to be focused on the main job.”
The four-time world champion has only had a single podium finish in the last eight races and didn’t get past the first corner at the Malaysian Grand Prix, after hitting Nico Rosberg.
He was given a three-place grid penalty for this weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix as a result of the collision, but more generally Vettel hasn’t maintained the form that saw him win three times in 2015.
His dip can be highlighted by the Drivers’ championship where he currently sits in fifth place, seven points behind teammate Kimi Raikkonen, the same man he beat by 128 points last year.
Not all of the disappointment can be put squarely on Vettel, however, as Ferrari overall have failed to live up to the pre-season hype.
Having looked like a team that could potentially challenge Mercedes, the Scuderia is now third in the pecking order, behind Red Bull, and don’t look likely to find the gains that can move them back in front of the Milton Keynes team.
A lot of pressure will be on Ferrari to be more competitive in 2017, as new rules offer the chance for teams to make significant progress. Indeed, a lot of that pressure will come from Vettel himself, who doesn’t want to see his Ferrari stint follow a path similar to that of Fernando Alonso.
But Arrivabene believes that progress can only be made if everyone within Maranello improves their game and that includes the German.
“Sebastian now has a contract with us. We work together this year and again next year. Then during the next season, we’ll see.
“Each of us has goals, I have them, the team has them, Sebastian has them, we all have them. So it is only right that anyone, no matter who it is, earns their place and their salary.”
