Sebastian Vettel to replace Sergio Perez at Racing Point in 2021

After leaving Ferrari at the end of 2020, Sebastian Vettel will move to Racing Point, which is set to be re-branded as Aston Martin Racing from 2021. Vettel will replace Sergio Perez, who had been with the team (formerly Force India) since 2014. 

Four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel will join Racing Point team in 2021, which is set to become Aston Martin Racing next year. The 33-year old German will replace Sergio Perez at Racing Point and will pair up with Lance Stroll in the team’s first season after Aston Martin re-branding.

After announcing his departure from Ferrari, the team he’s been with since 2015, Vettel’s future looked uncertain as most of the seats in top teams had already been spoken for. Plus, Vettel made it clear that he won’t be in F1 just for the sake of it – he made it clear that he wants to be a front-runner, irrespective of the team he decides to join. Now, Racing Point may not be a championship contender at the moment, but the team is set for a makeover in 2021 with Aston Martin coming on-board. In addition to that, the new technical and financial regulations that come into force from 2022 are expected to turn F1 into a level-playing field, with mid-field teams like Racing Point, McLaren, and Renault betting big on their future in F1.

Of course, Vettel’s performance this year hasn’t been anything to write home about, which means Racing Point’s decision to let go their long time Mexican driver has definitely not gone down well with many. However, Vettel’s underwhelming form in 2020 is also majorly down to the fact that Ferrari is currently struggling to be competitive. And with Vettel, Racing Point / Aston Martin will have a four-time world champion leading its new project. As to how this gamble will pay off, only time will tell.

For Perez, the future looks uncertain now. Even though he had a multi-year deal with Racing Point (until 2022), his contract has been cut short because of Vettel’s arrival. According to Perez, he doesn’t have any ‘Plan B’ at the moment, but if you go by the rumours flying around, he might join Haas next year.

Also read, 

Sebastian Vettel and Ferrari to part ways at the end of 2020 

Ferrari signs Sainz, Ricciardo moves to McLaren