LONDON – Four-time Formula One champion Sebastian Vettel is about to retire from the game before deciding to compete for Racing Point next season.
The team, which will be renamed Aston Martin, announced Thursday that Vettel will update Sergio Pérez, who had declared a day before he left. The team said Vettel had signed for the 2021 season “and beyond”, but did not reveal the duration. contract.
For Vettel, this puts an end to months of hypotheses about his long career after Ferrari made it clear that he would renew his contract. The German said the retirement mind had slipped before Racing Point made its offer.
“I came close to thinking a lot and making decisions,” Vettel said Thursday at the Tuscan Grand Prix when asked how close he was to retiring. “It wasn’t a simple decision. The last few weeks and months have been intense for me, another new scenario on which to locate me.
Vettel’s form has fallen significantly since the last time he introduced a credible name challenge in 2017 and 2018, wasting times on Mercedes’ driving force, Lewis Hamilton. Vettel won only one race last year when he beat fellow junior Charles Leclerc, who in his first season with Ferrari.
This year, the stage has been even worse for Vettel, who has even finished in the five most sensible in 8 races while Ferrari continues to fight for speed and has reliability issues. Last week, his career at the Italian Grand Prix lasted only a few laps before he had to surrender at Monza.
But Racing Point expects german delight to take a step forward.
“The signing of Sebastian is a clear sign of the team’s ambition to identify itself as one of the top competitive names in the sport,” the team said in an Array. “As a four-time world champion, Sebastian brings a new mindset to the team. “
Vettel won Grand Prix races, a general surpassed by Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton, won four consecutive Red Bull titles from 2010 to 2013 and joined Ferrari in 2015 with the goal of winning another.
But he never had a car capable of challenging Mercedes on his way to Scuderia, where he lost his number one prestige when Leclerc rose to fame.
“This is a new adventure for me with a mythical car manufacturer,” Vettel said. “I was inspired by the effects the team has achieved this year and I think the long run seems even brighter. I still love Formula One. ” et that my only motivation is to run in front of the grill. “
Perez didn’t know until Wednesday that he didn’t want to anymore.
“No one told me anything, but I already knew and understood several things. The final confirmation came yesterday,” he said. It’s all right. Seven years on the team, I know that everything has a start and also an end. We still have nine races that we’re proud of. “
The 30-year-old Mexican, who has 8 podiums in his career, is at his best and is among the fastest drivers of his time. He has been linked to a transfer to Alfa Romeo, kimi Raikkonen, 40, who will nevertheless retire next year, or Haas.
However, both cars run on the broken-down Ferrari engine and may not be competitive in 2021.
“I think every single thing is an option right now. My main purpose is to get better on F1 again. I feel like I’m still very young and hungry, and I need to get better again,” Perez said. But it has to be the right package, a package that gives me the maximum motivation to give my hundred percent on every shift. “
Currently fourth in the constructors’ rankings, Racing Point was fined 400,000 euros ($470,000) and 15 issues last month for copying a Mercedes design for its brake ducts, but the team, however, was able to continue with the offensive parts this season.
Racing Point’s other driving force is Lance Stroll, the son of co-owner Lawrence Stroll.
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