Motorsports
Aston Martin wants to keep Vettel beyond 2022
The Silverstone team are interested in ‘tying’ down four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel on a new contract for 2023 and a few more years, new Aston Martin F1 director Mike Crack has said.
Mike Crack, a compatriot of Sebastian Vettel and successor in the helm of Otmar Zafnauer’s team, has a long history of meeting and working with the former German World Champion – since his time at BMW, with which Vettel made his Formula 1 debut in 2007.
The German driver has a contract with Aston Martin F1 until the end of 2022, but Crack is interested in an extension and stated this publicly in the German press: “I hope my presence is enough to persuade him to stay.” Crack said by Vettel.
And he continued: “It is clear that a four-time world champion does not want to compete for 8th, 12th or 15th place. We have to give him a good car and show him that we have a good working structure. Sebastian is a smart man, he not only sees the current performance but also the momentum.
It is important for top drivers to feel the support of the team. And it is just as important to explain to them honestly and transparently where we stand and what we expect. You don’t have to call them every day as long as they feel safe. If we give him the right set I’m sure we can keep him longer. “But I haven’t talked to him about it yet.”
Crack denied rumors it was Vettel who persuaded him to return to F1 this year to lead the German’s team. “That’s not true at all, I spoke to Seb after I signed. In addition, negotiations for such positions are subject to strict confidentiality restrictions. “So we didn’t have a discussion with Vettel.”
Finally, the new commander of the Aston Martin F1 left open the possibility that the team’s owner, Lawrence Stroll, decided to turn it into a manufacturer of his engines. “We are very satisfied with our current partner (Mercedes Benz)but with the new regulations of 2026 it is obvious that a company like Aston-Martin see if it makes sense to develop its engines within its walls”.
Sophia Jhon is a sports journalist and author. He has worked as a news editor for Sportish and is now a sport columnist for the same publication. Alberta’s professional interests lie largely in sports news, with an emphasis on English football. He has also written articles on other sporting topics.