Sebastian Vettel Will Race For Aston Martin In 2021 After Sergio Perez Announces His Exit  

The Racing Point  team which will be soon rebranded to Aston Martin in 2021 has procured the services of 4-time world champion Sebastian Vettel. Vettel who is currently at the fag-end of a 5-year stint with Ferrari is said to leave the Italian team at the end of the year. Earlier in the year, it was revealed that Ferrari had not renewed Vettel's contract in the wake of the pandemic. 

Sergio Perez was contracted till 2022

While rumours were rife about Vettel joining racing point the problem was the team already had 2 drivers signed up for the 2021 season. Sergio Perez was the likely contender to leave the team considering Lance Stroll, his teammate, is the son of Lawrence Stroll who owns the team. The Mexican driver was contracted till 2022 but seems like there was a clause which allowed Racing Point to end the relationship. 

"I am pleased to finally share this exciting news about my future," said the four-time World Champion. "I'm extremely proud to say that I will become an Aston Martin driver in 2021. "It's a new adventure for me with a truly legendary car company", he added. 

"I have been impressed with the results the team has achieved this year and I believe the future looks even brighter. "The energy and commitment of Lawrence [Stroll] to the sport is in spiring and I believe we can build something very special together. "I still have so much love for Formula 1 and my only motivation is to race at the front of the grid. To do so with Aston Martin will be a huge privilege."

Late last night Sergio Perez released a statement revealing that he was set to leave the racing point team at the end of 2021. In a heartfelt note, Paris revealed that he was very grateful to Vijay Mallya who was the original owner of the racing point team when it was still called Force India and continued his support for Lawrence Stroll and the new inbound Aston Martin marquee. 

Racing Point F1 team has made some huge strides in 2020
Photo Credit: AFP

"Sebastian is a proven champion and brings a winning mentality that matches our own ambitions for the future as Aston Martin F1 Team. "On a Saturday or Sunday afternoon, Sebastian is one of the best in the world, and I can't think of a better driver to help take us into this new era. He will play a significant role in taking this team to the next level," said Otmar Szafnauer the Racing Point Boss. 

This is going to be a big deal for Vettel as for the last three years at Ferrari his performance has been dismal. In 2018, his Ferrari was arguably the faster car and yet he spun multiple times in the season and squandered the chance to win his 5th world title. In 2019, he was outshined by rookie Charles Leclerc which is happening again 2020 on a disastrous Ferrari car which is hamstrung with poor straight-line speed.