Sebastian Vettel is set to be part of Formula 1’s newest team for 2021 when Racing Point becomes Aston Martin, but will it be a benefit the sport?
As one of the most successful F1 drivers of all time, with an impressive 53 wins to his name, it was a shock when Ferrari opted against renewing his contract and he will thus will be leaving Scuderia Ferrari at the end of this season.
Unfortunately for Sergio Perez, the Mexican had his contract terminated early to make space for Vettel at Aston Martin. Nevertheless, Perez is a great driver and should have other options available.
Vettel is delighted to be making the move, which was a reasonably easy decision based on the team’s current status. Despite suffering from a small budget, the Silverstone based team has performed exceptionally and has been further developed under new ownership of Lawrence Stroll, father of Lance, the team’s other driver.
Admittedly, Lance could have been replaced instead of Perez but that was never going to happen, considering his father is also the executive chairman of Aston Martin, who ultimately rescued the team with a hefty personal investment.
Of course Perez is a bit disappointed to be leaving, considering he helped the team during turbulent times, including helping retain some team members. But he admitted to having an inkling that something wasn’t quite right. Although he says he doesn’t have a plan b, he has said that he would be tempted to join a new team if the right project came along. Most paddock insiders are confident, however, that he will be snapped up soon by either Haas or Sauber/Alfa Romeo.
Can Vettel be a winner for Aston Martin?
On a positive note, Vettel is still considered to be one of F1’s most successful drivers, and along with the strong winner mentality of team boss Otmar Szafnauer, the new line-up should gel and produce the results. Something that already puts him head and shoulders above others is his impressive 53 victories – third in all time wins behind Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton. Add that to the fact that this year’s Racing Point appears to be the third fastest car on the grid is encouraging.
Lewis Hamilton is a particularly big fan of the news, saying that Vettel is the perfect person to take ownership of the team and steer it in the right direction in terms of car development. For Vettel himself, he admits that this new project is essentially keeping him out of retirement, which he was strongly considering before Aston Martin / Racing Point came calling. He says he is ready to get stuck into this exciting new project and essentially fight for some decent results.
On the other hand, it’s difficult not to forget the last three years Vettel has had at the Scuderia, particularly after he was outclassed by Daniel Ricciardo in his last season at Red Bull. And then there was the small matter of Charles Leclerc gaining the upper hand last year in what was the young Monegasque’s first season at Ferrari. That was despite Vettel having “number one” status in the team.
Increasingly, other drivers were winning more races and gaining more and more points, leaving Vettel in the back seat. And this year’s Ferrari SF1000 is arguably only the fifth or sixth fastest car on the grid, behind the likes of Mercedes, Red Bull, Racing Point, McLaren and Renault. Ultimately, Ferrari saw Vettel as something of a distraction, which led to the team banking on younger talent in the form of Leclerc and replacing Vettel with current McLaren star Carlos Sainz.
What can Vettel do for for Aston Martin?
With the Racing Point team transitioning into Aston Martin next year and recruiting Vettel for ’21, they have had to replace Perez which means the team’s drivers now have a very different dynamic. It’s true to say that Vettel does have a lot going for him. He clearly has a winning mentality, experienced many impressive race victories, and has by far one of the better racing brains on the grid. With this attitude he should get stuck in at Aston Martin and could well produce some strong results for the team, which others on the grid, including Lewis Hamilton, clearly believing the German can do so.
So it seems that Vettel could be onto a winner with Aston Martin and worth a small flutter for next year, take a look at this helpful page with sites you can legally bet at.
On the downside, Vettel’s performance over the last couple of years has been less than satisfactory. Some of his performances against lower-rated drivers have left a lot to be considered, almost like his heart isn’t in it anymore. So it was really no surprise to hear that he has been passed over for a new Ferrari contract for 2021 and replaced by Sainz.
What we also know is that Racing Point’s reputation has been somewhat tarnished in light of the “copy-gate” debacle in which the team basically copied last year’s Mercedes W10. The upshot being that the team had 15 Constructors’ points deducted and they were fined €400,000. The reason given was that the team illegally copied the brake ducts (now a control part for 2020) of the 2019 Mercedes, which were then used in this year’s car.
This has now led to changes in Formula 1 rules for next season, aiming to prevent wholesale copying from one car to another on different teams.
