And just like that, it is official, Sebastian Vettel will replace Sergio Perez at Aston Martin in 2021.
At the start of last month, it appeared only a matter of time before the four-time world champion confirmed there is life in Formula 1 post-Ferrari, particularly after he was seen interacting with Racing Point bosses at Silverstone.
But as the weeks ticked by, and Perez voiced strong confidence in staying on at the team he’s been with since 2014, some did begin to wonder if Vettel’s move would happen at all.
Well in the space of just over 12 hours, the Mexican announced his departure with “no Plan B”, and Aston Martin declared their “statement of intent” by confirming the German.
Not only that, Vettel and Aston Martin did it on the eve of Ferrari’s 1000th Grand Prix at Mugello, how savage can you get?
Now it can’t be denied that this is a harsh decision on Perez. After all, it was just last year he committed to his longest F1 contract ever with the team until the end of 2022 and let’s not forget, without his actions in 2018, the team may not even exist today.
To make it worse, Aston Martin is swapping him for a driver who, let’s be honest, hasn’t been at his peak for several years now despite his four F1 titles.
But that isn’t what the team’s decision to sign Vettel is about. Instead, this is about bringing in the experience and knowledge the 33-year-old has generated through having competed at the top in F1 for a decade.
And that is why his arrival will take Aston Martin to a level they would never have reached with their current line-up.
For those who think this is a step back for Seb to a team that has to revert to copying old Mercedes’ to be competitive, think again.
Throughout history, but for a few years in the mid-2000s, whether it be as Jordan, Force India or Racing Point, the Silverstone-based outfit has always punched above its weight, and as Aston Martin, the team can do that again and more.
That’s because the key to its success has always been efficiency and optimising the performance it extracts for every pound spent, which has often been much less than their rivals.
And now Lawrence Stroll is investing to bring that same operation up to the same level as the top teams when the new F1 budget cap takes effect next year.
So not only is Vettel joining a team that will be near the front next year, when it comes to 2022 and the all-new cars, which Aston won’t be able to turn to Mercedes for design ‘inspiration’, the team will be more than capable of producing a car that can be among the best on the grid.
And what about Vettel himself, sure some may call him a bit washed up and past his peak, but don’t be surprised if we get a reinvigorated Seb next year.
The environment as Aston is likely to suit him much better than Ferrari, and the challenge of leading the team should provide him with ample motivation to return to his best.
It’s an exciting move at an exciting time for both sides and so right now, 2021 probably can’t come soon enough.
