Sebastian Vettel says he did not expect Ferrari’s decision not to keep him after this season.
It emerged after Ferrari announced the German would leave that he had never been offered a new contract.
The four-time world champion, who turns 33 on Friday, said: “It was obviously a surprise to me when I got the call and Mattia [Binotto, Ferrari team boss] told me there was no intention from the team to continue.
“We never got into any discussions.”
He added: “There was never an offer on the table and therefore there was no sticking point.”
Vettel’s Ferrari seat alongside Charles Leclerc will be taken in 2021 by McLaren’s Carlos Sainz, whose position in turn will be filled by Daniel Ricciardo, currently at Renault.