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Aston Martin left after not scoring any points that year and returns to the grid with high hopes after signing four-time F1 champion Sebastian Vettel. He has won 53 F1 races but endured a dismal last year with Ferrari in 2020 during which he achieved just one podium.
“ I love motorsport history and Aston Martin is one of the great names of the past, so it’s fun to be a part of their comeback, ” Vettel said at the team’s online launch on Wednesday. “ I haven’t driven the car yet, obviously, but I think it looks really good. I really want to get him out on the track. ”
He will race alongside Canadian driver Lance Stroll, whose father, Lawrence Stroll, owns the team after completing a nearly $ 1 billion acquisition last April.
The Silverstone-based team was then renamed from Racing Point to Aston Martin, and Sergio Perez, who drove consistently well and won a race last season, was replaced by 33-year-old Vettel.
It will be Vettel’s fourth F1 team after starting with Toro Rosso before winning four consecutive titles with Red Bull from 2010-13 and then joining Ferrari. He failed to deliver the title that the Italian manufacturer longs for, finishing second behind Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton despite leading the championship midway through 2017 and ’18.
“ Although I have raced for four Formula One teams and for many years, starting a new season with a new team still gives me a sense of excitement, ” said the veteran German driver. As a driver, I have always been on the lookout for competition and this team has consistently impressed me with what they have been able to do without the biggest budget. So when (they) reached out to me last year and explained what their ambitions were, I was immediately very motivated to join the team. ”
When Stroll and 22-year-old Vettel take to the grid in the AMR21 car at the season-opening GP in Bahrain on March 28, it will be the first time Aston Martin has been on the grid since Roy Salvadori and Maurice Trintignant. queued for the 1960 British GP.
“ Aston Martin’s return to Formula One after a 61-year absence will have a powerful effect on the sport, the media and the fans, drawing global attention, ” said Lawrence Stroll. “ We now have the pieces in place, the people and the partners, to make real progress. I firmly believe that we have the perfect combination of experience and youth in Sebastian and Lance. ”
They will get acquainted with the car at pre-season testing in Bahrain on March 12-14.
