After Sergio Perez’s shocking announcement that he will be leaving Racing Point at the end of this season, it is now official that Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel will take his place come next year, when the outfit will be known as Aston Martin.
According to Racing Point, signing the 33-year old four-time F1 champion is a “clear statement of the team’s ambition to establish itself as one of the most competitive names in the sport.”
Vettel has been discussing his future with Lawrence Stroll’s team for several months now, ever since Ferrari announced that he will be let go at the end of this year, with McLaren’s Carlos Sainz coming in as his replacement.
“I am pleased to finally share this exciting news about my future,” said Vettel. “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. I have been impressed with the results the team [Racing Point] has achieved this year and I believe the future looks even brighter.”
“The energy and commitment of Lawrence [Stroll] to the sport is inspiring 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.”
Racing Point has indeed performed admirably this year, currently sitting in fourth place in the Constructor Standings with a total of 82 points, just 16 shy of third-place McLaren and 11 points clear of fifth-place Renault.