Berger expecting Vettel to join Aston Martin
Based on what he’s heard in the paddock, Gerhard Berger believes that Sebastian Vettel will join Aston Martin for the 2021 season.
Vettel is currently without a seat for next season. Ferrari opted to sign Carlos Sainz instead, while Mercedes and Red Bull have both ruled a move out.
With McLaren and Renault also already confirming their lineups for 2021, the only option left for him, if he doesn’t want to drop down to the bottom of the grid, is Racing Point, soon to become Aston Martin.
With the team making a strong start to the season, arguably looking like the third fastest car on the grid, it’s becoming an attractive prospect for the German, and Berger expects it to happen.
“When topics are being discussed in the paddock, that often means that they are already done,” he said on Servus TV’s Sport und Talk aus dem Hangar-7.
“So I can imagine that Sebastian will appear at Racing Point. For him, it could be the only alternative with which he can also win races.”
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Vettel’s current team, Ferrari, has endured a torrid start to the 2020 season. Not only did the drivers take each other out at the start of the Styrian Grand Prix, but in terms of pace, they’re arguably sixth in the pecking order.
Given the struggles of Haas and Alfa Romeo, the general consensus is that the problems have been caused by a poor engine. However, Berger thinks they run deeper, pointing the finger at the management structure and specifically the number of responsibilities placed on the shoulders of Mattia Binotto.
“They are driven by the press and controlled by emotions, so I don’t think they will find a solution in the short term,” he added.
“You can’t unload a giant team like Ferrari on one person who should control everything from politics to strategy.”
“When we look at Red Bull, you have Helmut Marko, Christian Horner and also Adrian Newey. Same goes for Mercedes. They had Niki Lauda and Toto Wolff.”
Berger isn’t the only one expecting Aston Martin to sign Vettel. German publication Bild has reported that a deal has almost been reached and added that there’s a clause in Sergio Perez’s contract that would allow the team to relieve the Mexican of his services for a one time fee, freeing up a space for the four-time World Champion.
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