Sebastian Vettel's most successful times are long gone. Most recently, he drew attention to himself more as a reminder for climate protection. The main sponsor of his Aston Martin racing team, Aramco, should not like that. Nevertheless, the team boss wants to keep him.
Mike Krack is required as a man of conviction. The Luxembourger wants to make Sebastian Vettel palatable for another season in Formula 1 at Aston Martin. And "with deeds and not words," as Krack emphasized in the RTL / ntv interview. That means: Aston Martin is working on finally providing the four-time world champion with a car that Vettel can really have fun with again and be able to drive up front.
The AMR22, which was severely paralyzed at the start of the season, had to be brought to an area "where Sebastian sees the light at the end of the tunnel again," says Krack. "If he realizes that something is going on, that's a package that works, we're making progress, then the decision is much easier for him." Because, according to the team boss: "Sebastian Vettel does not drive for 17th place."
Well, the veteran doesn't drive for 18th place either. The fact that Vettel landed in this place in qualifying for the British GP at Silverstone (Sunday, from 3 p.m., on RTL and in the ntv.de live ticker) is for the persuasion of the British factory team therefore not exactly beneficial. His car simply doesn't have enough speed, said Vettel after the rainy qualifying session at the "Home of British Motor Racing". Neither in the wet nor in the dry.
Vettel's mood, his emotional barometer, should ultimately be the decisive factor as to whether the 35-year-old will extend his contract with Aston Martin and also step on the gas next season in the motorsport premier class or not. He will see how the next races go, said Vettel recently in a virtual call with RTL / ntv. "I don't think it will take us forever," said the 53-time Grand Prix winner. Krack also expects clarity after the summer break.
But why would Aston Martin even want Vettel to stay on board? It's a provocative question. Finally, the Vettel critics etch that the ex-champion has lost the speed of the past few days. make too many mistakes Be too expensive (with an estimated annual salary of 15 million euros, Vettel is still one of the top earners in the scene). And then there are Vettel's affairs of the heart.
The German is increasingly using the racing series as a platform to draw attention to issues such as climate change and environmental protection as well as the rights of the LGBTIQ community. Aston Martin's main sponsor, Aramco, the world's largest oil production company based in Saudi Arabia, is unlikely to be particularly pleased with these activities. So why does Krack want to keep the busy Vettel?
The answer: Because Aston Martin needs it. The "constructive contribution" that his driver makes to the racing team "far outweighs any negative vibrations," emphasizes Krack. With a "caliber like Sebastian" you have to live with "strong opinions". First and foremost, you want a fast racing driver, says the 50-year-old. "And that's out of the question for me. The pace is still there."
However, it is not the pace factor that makes the veteran so valuable for Aston Martin. It's his experience. His work ethic, his attention to detail, his ability to feed precise feedback to the engineers and technicians as a car is being developed. After the rule revolution at the beginning of the year, these attributes are particularly important, especially because Aston Martin's second driver Lance Stroll (the son of team owner Lawrence, editor's note) is certainly not a luminary in this regard.
Vettel's contribution isn't just on track (where he was sixth, the best result for Aston Martin at Baku). He is also relevant to "technical issues" in the factory and garage and is "involved in the further development of the team," says Krack.
Vettel's overall package is what makes him so attractive to a developing team like Aston Martin. When Krack talks about this total package, he gets enthusiastic. "When we discuss the race strategy, Sebastian sometimes says: 'Open my block from 2014 or from 2016, I had this and that and that, let's look at it again.' "That's such valuable input for us that only comes about when someone has that work ethic and work ethic. There aren't many top racers with that experience who even show that kind of work anymore. We're super happy with him. We'd be on wish he had signed yesterday." The pen lies with Sebastian Vettel.
