Will signing Vettel save Aston Martin?
Racing Point's decision to hire Sebastian Vettel for the start of its new era as Aston Martin is intriguing. Lawrence Stroll's team opted to cut the emotional ties to Sergio Perez to sign a multiple champion, as the next step of a wider long-term strategy
If Formula 1 needs a reminder of its ruthlessness, consider Sergio Perez. Just over two years ago, he triggered the action that helped save what was then called Force India, with the separate entity its assets were transferred to becoming the current Racing Point squad.
In 2021, that team will become known as Aston Martin. And its drivers will be Lance Stroll and Sebastian Vettel. Perez finds himself heading out of the squad where he has raced since 2014 and which he can legitimately say he helped to save.
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Alex Kalinauckas is Autosport's Grand Prix Editor, covering every Formula 1 race since the start of 2020. After completing a master's degree in journalism at Goldsmiths College University of London in 2014, he worked for a range of motorsport and technology publications while covering national racing as an Autosport freelancer.
A lifelong motorsport fan - no one in his family can explain quite how or why such a development first occurred - Alex joined the Autosport staff in April 2017 as the magazine’s Assistant Editor covering Formula 2 and GP3, before being made Formula E correspondent and Autosport.com’s Plus Editor in March 2018. He lives in north-east London and is constantly frustrated by the Central Line.
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