Szafnauer: ''It is a compliment to Sergio that we have doubted for so long''

Perez on the side in front of Vettel

At the beginning of 2020 it was already known that Vettel was allowed to leave Ferrari. So a four-time world champion was on the market and that offered new opportunities for other teams. One of those candidates was Racing Point, but in the end the deal was closed very late. Vettel himself doubted for a very long time about a longer stay in Formula 1.

''We have had discussions with him for quite some time, but the final decision was only announced just before the announcement. It was certainly not an easy choice, because Sergio has served us very well. He is an excellent racer and it is a compliment to Sergio that we have spent so much time discussing the arrival of a four-time world champion," says Szafnauer on the Racing Point website.

Mentor for Stroll

Despite long discussions, Vettel was finally chosen over Perez. ''Aston Martin returns to the sport and with the experience that Vettel brings with driving a top team, that's just the right match for Aston Martin that wants to go to the top. He will be able to take the team to the next level."

So Lance Stroll can stay with the team and there are a lot of questions about that. Sergio seemed to be the better of the two drivers, but as the son of the boss, Stroll probably has an edge. ''Everyone will have to improve their level and Seb will also be a good mentor for Lance. He's still very young and can learn a lot from a four-time world champion," concludes the Racing Point team boss.