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Sebastian Vettel's move to Aston Martin: A descent that doesn't have to be

2020-09-10T15:14:10.178Z


Why is Sebastian Vettel driving for a midfield team in the future? Behind Aston Martin is Lawrence Stroll, a billionaire who wants to bring the team to the top. Which is not that easy in Formula 1.


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Nine races left for Ferrari: Sebastian Vettel

Photo: 

Mark Thompson / Getty Images

It sounds like a descent.

Sebastian Vettel is switching from Ferrari, the most traditional team in Formula 1 history, which will contest the 1000th Grand Prix in Mugello this weekend, to Aston Martin - as his new team will be called in 2021.

And even if the name of the legendary British sports car brand - James Bond sends his regards - can at least be a counterpart to the Italian Ferrari myth: In terms of Formula 1 there is still a big difference.

Because Aston Martin, name and official factory team status or not, is traditionally nothing more than the team founded by Eddie Jordan almost 30 years ago, in which Michael Schumacher made his Formula 1 debut in Spa in 1991.

Several changes of ownership and name followed, as Midland, Spyker, Force India or Racing Point, the team celebrated a few notable successes.

From 2021, Racing Point will be called Aston Martin.

Owner Lawrence Stroll, a Canadian textile billionaire, is also a major shareholder in Aston Martin and initiated the naming deal.

And now got Vettel too.

In the short term, the change could even mean a step forward for Vettel from a purely sporting point of view.

Because while Ferrari is hardly allowed to develop the car further due to the corona restrictions and will have to compete with the massively inferior SF1000 in the coming season, Aston Martin has a very solid base with the copy of the world champion Mercedes from 2019.

At Racing Point, those responsible hope to be able to make the current racing car even more consistent with small changes - the team still had problems on some tracks this year.

Stroll puts everything on the Vettel card

In his early days in Formula 1, Lawrence Stroll had to live with the accusation that he only wanted to secure a cockpit for his son Lance.

Lance Stroll will be Vettel's team-mate in the coming year.

But now it has been shown that Stroll senior has more plans:

  • Vettel will burden the team's budget with his salary significantly more.

  • Stroll waived a double-digit million amount that Sergio Pérez, who was put in front of the door for Vettel, had brought with him in sponsorship money.

    In addition, the Mexican, who had a contract until 2022, has to be paid severance pay.

  • So far, Racing Point drove in pink, thanks to the main sponsor BWT.

    To what extent this partnership will endure remains to be seen.

    Pink Aston Martins are unlikely to exist, the British traditionally compete in green.

    In the past, BWT had mostly insisted on a complete appearance in its own colors - the team is threatened with further loss of income here.

Stroll accepts all of this in order to be able to use the opportunity together with Vettel.

Because the budget limit will limit the expenses of all teams in the coming season.

The new Concorde agreement, a kind of basic contract for all racing teams, honors places three to five in the team classification better than before - which improves the financial prospects for Aston Martin again.

And there's something else: the team has been known throughout its history for being able to work very effectively with limited resources.

How Mercedes, Red Bull and Ferrari will deal with these requirements in the future remains to be seen.

Icon: enlarge Photo: Peter Fox / Getty Images

All of this contributes to the fact that Vettel has hope with his new employer - the fifth of his Formula 1 career after BMW-Sauber (debut 2007), Toro Rosso (2007-2008), Red Bull (2009-2014) as well Ferrari (2015-2020) - to be able to build on old successes again.

"For me this represents a completely new adventure with a really legendary brand," Vettel was quoted in the official statement of the racing team.

"I am impressed by the successes this year and I am convinced that things will be even better in the future. My love for Formula 1 is still great and my only motivation lies in the fight for the top positions." 

Vettel wants to regularly fight for the podium in 2021

Even with his new team there is initially euphoria: "Everyone at the Silverstone plant is electrified by this news," says team boss Otmar Szafnauer, who is one of Vettel's better confidants on the scene.

Vettel is a champion who brings a certain winning mentality to the team.

"I couldn't ask for a better driver to help us usher in this new era," continued Szafnauer.

How far the athletic advancement can actually go remains to be seen.

Aston Martin will drive with Mercedes engines, so it remains a customer team of the Silver Arrows and will not be able to endanger the dominant team of the past few years.

But to leave the rest of the midfield including Ferrari - and maybe even Red Bull - behind, to regularly fight for the podium, now and then for more, Stroll speculates.

This means that the ambitious Vettel, who has to minimize his own driving errors, could live for a transitional year.

But what happens in 2022 when the new aerodynamics rules take effect and Formula 1 hopes to turn the entire field upside down?

Can an attack succeed at the very front because perhaps Mercedes decides to leave Formula 1 after all or Lewis Hamilton is no longer interested after eight conceivable world championship titles?

Vettel wants to drive for victories, for the world title, he has repeatedly emphasized.

This is new territory for the Racing Point engineers.

Vettel knows: The first throw has to be right, he wants to contribute with his experience and his development work.

Otherwise the frustration he has been radiating at Ferrari for months will quickly return.

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Source: spiegel

All sports articles on 2020-09-10

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