‘Vettel will raise the team to a different level’

Finley Crebolder
Sebastian Vettel smiling

Emanuele Pirro revisits internal conflict of Sebastian Vettel's 2019 Canadian GP penalty.

Racing Point team principal Otmar Szafnauer says that having Sebastian Vettel onboard will take the team to new levels in various areas.

Vettel will be replacing Sergio Perez at the team soon to be known as Aston Martin from the start of next season.

Given the respective form of the two drivers, many don’t feel it’s a step up, but Szafnauer is confident that the German will make a big difference for the team in many ways.

“He will raise the team to a different level and I’m sure it will be 1000 little things that he will help us improve that can then take us to a new level,” he said.

“I think he’ll bring with him a World Champion work ethic and that’s what we all want to learn from. Everyone’s going to have to raise their game and he will be a great mentor for Lance too.

“He’s still relatively young and very fast, and it’s great for Lance to learn from a four-time world champion.”

Rumours of Vettel joining the team immediately began to swirl before the start of the season when Ferrari announced he wouldn’t be signing a new contract.

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Sebastian Vettel and Sergio Perez serious.jpg
Sebastian Vettel and Sergio Perez serious.jpg

However, the German wasn’t officially signed until just before the Tuscan Grand Prix, and Szafnauer says that’s a testament to the man he’s replacing.

“It wasn’t an easy call to make, because Checo has served us well,” he added.

“He’s a great racer, a quick driver and is a safe pair of hands on a Sunday. I think it’s a compliment to Checo that we had to deliberate so long on whether to take a four-time world champion with all the experience that Seb brings or stay with Checo.

“He’s a true professional and we look forward to the remaining races with Checo. We hope he can go out on a high and hopefully race against him in the future. But when a four-time world champion like Sebastian becomes available, that doesn’t happen every day or every year, and we had to consider our options deeply.

Szafnauer concluded by saying that, with investment and Vettel’s experience, the team is doing everything possible to get to the top of the sport.

“We have aspirations to move the team forward and we’re working hard back at Silverstone to invest in all areas of the team to get the infrastructure and resources where they need to be,” he said.

“With Sebastian, I know what he will bring a massive amount to the team. It’s all the experiences gained in winning four world championships and 53 races – and we want to learn from that.”

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