September 10th saw the reveal of F1’s worst kept secret. Sebastian Vettel signs for Aston Martin Racing on a unknown length contract. This followed the news that Sergio Perez was leaving the team at the end of the season. Racing Point is the current guise of the team, but this is due to change for the 2021 season.
Speculation:
It came as a shock when news broke that Sebastian Vettel would not be driving for Ferrari in 2021. But it was even more shocking when it was revealed that the 4 time World Champion was not even offered negotiations for a contract. Within 24 hours, Vettel was unceremoniously dropped and replaced by Carlos Sainz Jr. Vettel’s future seemed uncertain, as many top teams were content with their driver line ups. Of course, this immediately led to speculation, which, until today, had been taking place for nearly 6 months.
The 4 time world champion made it clear that he did not intend to follow in the footsteps of Kimi Raikkonen and wanted to remain with a competitive team. After a strong start in 2020, Racing Point – soon to be Aston Martin – came at the forefront of the speculation. This was exacerbated further after Otmar Szafnauer, Racing Point Principal, and Vettel were spotted at a petrol station during the week of the British Grand Prix. However, Sergio Perez and Lance Stroll both seemed set at Racing Point for the significant future. Perez having a three year contract and Lance Stroll having the security of being the son of the Lawrence Stroll, part owner of Racing Point.
However, it was the Mexican driver, Perez, who was axed, after dedicating 7 years to the team. It is unsure where his future lies. There are still seats available in Formula 1, but they will be considered a significant downgrade from his current team, which scored a podium at last week’s Italian GP.
Confirmation:
But, Sebastian Vettel now has a shot at redemption after his tenure with Ferrari spiralled in recent years. Vettel joined the Italian outfit in 2015 after winning 4 drivers and constructors championships with Red Bull. The German driver became the third most successful driver in the team’s history, taking 14 wins and 53 podiums over 6 seasons. Despite this, his dream to take a championship with Ferrari was never realised. Driver and Team errors plagued the challenge against Mercedes in 2017 and 2018, leaving both himself and the team 2nd overall.
Recently, the affinity between Ferrari and Vettel has turned sour, the abrupt termination of the German’s future providing an insight to the relationship between the two. However, Vettel may be more than happy to see the back of the team as their current 2020 season has been nothing short of disastrous. Both scarlet cars failed to even make Q3 at their home race and both failed to finish. In comparison, Racing Point led a short amount of the race and took home silverware as Stroll finished 3rd.
Aston Martin’s return has been hotly anticipated, and they may have made a masterful move. Sebastian Vettel has been known to manage himself well with a team, and if he can turn their fortunes around, he will be lauded for his efforts. If Lance Stroll stays with the team, as assumed, the pair could form a very effective duo and genuinely challenge for strong results. But they will both need a car that is capable, easy enough for 2021, but the rule changes in 2022 could go either way.
Featured Image Credit: @F1 Official Twitter
