Will the four-time F1 champion continue in 2023?
Sebastian Vettel is one of the drivers out of contract with his team this season, and the German could opt to leave the premier class once his deal with Aston Martin ends. Not only have no details about his possible renewal been disclosed, but his words suggest that he may have finished his career in F1.
Vettel, who came to Aston Martin last season hoping to have a winning car under the new regulations, has found himself in an entirely different reality. His car is now at the bottom of the Constructors’ World Cup standings, and with the expected improvements, it could reach the middle of the table at most.
The four-time F1 world champion left Ferrari through the back door when Mattia Binotto opted for Carlos Sainz as Charles Leclerc’s partner. Aston Martin was one of the few teams that could offer him a moderately competitive car and an alternative to retirement, but in the end he has not found the results he was looking for.
And this despite the fact that Vettel has had some very good performances, such as the Azerbaijan GP last year, where he was second; or Hungary, where he came on the heels of Esteban Ocon, who achieved his only victory in F1 there. Unfortunately, ‘Seb’ was disqualified after this last race as the FIA was unable to extract the minimum amount of fuel necessary from his Aston Martin.
This year has been very difficult for the German after missing the first two races of the year due to COVID-19. So far this year-he has only participated in three Grand Prix-he has only been able to score three points with a very difficult single-seater.
To the lack of competitiveness of Aston Martin, we must also add that the four-time champion feels that he is not doing things consistently, since he is a defender of the environment in a category that, despite the efforts he makes, continues to being a championship far from being sustainable.
“There are questions I ask myself every day. I’m not a saint. When I get out of the car, of course I ask myself: is this something we should do?” the German said last week on a BBC program.
In addition, Vettel, who has two children, has always assured that he is very familiar and that he leaves the races aside on the weekends he has free. Perhaps it is time for him to focus on those around him, especially when there are already 23 races on an ever-growing calendar.
“It doesn’t really look like the team can be a champion. So what does it need all this for?” asks former driver Marc Surer on the website motorsport-total.com. “I see him fulfilling the contract and saying goodbye. Aston Martin was his last chance and things are not going well for him there either.”
If Vettel finally leaves Formula 1, he could still be linked to the motor world in some other way. For example, in one of the all-electric categories in which he would be an excellent ambassador, such as Formula E, Extreme E or ETCR, events that have much less demanding calendars.
