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Sebastian Vettel
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Sebastian Vettel has put an end to the rumors of an exit from Formula 1 and hopes to be able to attack the top with Aston Martin in the coming season.
The British racing team confirmed the continued employment of the four-time world champion and his Canadian teammate Lance Stroll for 2022. Vettel had signed a long-term contract before this season, but confirmation of continued employment was still pending.
"I believe in the strength of our new, growing team," the 34-year-old was quoted in a statement.
Recently there had been speculations that Vettel could turn his back on Formula 1 because of the sporting problems at Aston Martin and his commitment to protecting the climate and the environment.
But Vettel is not ready for this yet.
That has a lot to do with the current season.
Aston Martin was considered a permanent podium candidate after the success of the predecessor racing team Racing Point (4th World Championship place in the 2020 season).
But then Vettel's new team was thwarted by rule changes and so the four-time world champion was allowed to take part in the celebration of the first three drivers in 14 races of the season.
Mercedes, Red Bull and Ferrari still have an advantage
Vettel missed the points eight times, currently he is in twelfth position in the World Cup, eleven points ahead of his teammate Stroll.
But that is not Vettel's benchmark, he has high hopes for the comprehensive rule reform with heavily modified cars, which should ensure more equal opportunities in the premier class of motorsport in the coming year.
“The changes are so big that they mean a fresh start for every team.
This is a great opportunity for us, ”said Vettel.
Vettel said he was looking forward to the new generation of Formula 1 racing cars and more exciting races.
But whether Aston Martin will really benefit is uncertain.
The new upper budget limit is forcing the big teams like Mercedes, Red Bull and Ferrari to save, but the big three still have the best chance of winning in the new regulations.
With his four World Championship titles and 53 Grand Prix victories, Vettel is still the second most successful driver in the current field of drivers.
His last World Cup triumph so far, however, was eight years ago when he coined an era with Red Bull.
In addition, during his time at Ferrari (2015 to 2020) he did not manage to build on the old successes of the Italians.
krä / dpa / sid