Sebastian Vettel’s withdrawal has turned the driver market upside down and has opened up a range of possible scenarios that could affect various teams in Formula 1.
Although the German’s retirement had always been a possibility, and was obviously a topic of conversation between the former world champion and current team owner Lawrence Stroll , the reality is that they were also discussing the terms of a contract extension. Therefore, the first conclusion is that Aston Martin does not have a plan for its replacement.
Obviously, the team couldn’t wait forever to make a decision, but it wasn’t until Thursday that Vettel made his intentions clear, officially starting the search for a replacement.
The final decision will be made by Lawrence Stroll, but he will make it with the support of figures such as the team manager, Mike Krack; the technical director, Andy Green; athletic director, Andy Stevenson; and performance director, Tom McCullough.
By signing Vettel , the team knew they were signing a driver who was world champion, but also a man who could be a good influence on their son.
And it is that, in addition to being a manufacturer, Aston Martin does not forget marketing. Vettel’s choice was influenced by the positive public relations he would bring, and inevitably Stroll will want to bet on someone with a high profile and, if possible, a winner.
All other considerations notwithstanding, the logical first name on the list has to be that of their current reserve driver, Nico Hulkenberg , who raced for the team when they were called Force India during 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015 and 2016.
He returned to make three appearances as a last-minute substitute at Racing Point in 2020, standing in for Vettel at Aston Martin for the first two races this season. In addition, he will also be doing a Pirelli test for the Silverstone team in Hungary next week, giving him valuable track mileage in the AMR22.
Hulkenberg is free, so it would be easy to get a deal done for 2023 while keeping all options open for 2024, as his name is well known to the team.
Another alternative is Fernando Alonso . Stroll took an interest in the Spaniard before signing Vettel , and the Spaniard fits the profile of being a world champion who can bring extensive technical knowledge. His departure from Alpine would also open up a seat for Oscar Piastri.
The list of names that end their contract and that could see Aston Martin as an alternative is very short. Alex Albon is one of them, and could be an interesting option.
Mick Schumacher is also in a similar situation with Haas, and Vettel will undoubtedly try to recommend his protégé. But has the young German driver done enough to convince Aston Martin? And would he be willing to cut his ties with Ferrari ?
Another possible candidate is Daniel Ricciardo , who in theory still has a contract with McLaren. However, he could not continue in the Woking team according to the latest rumors.
Ricciardo ticks a lot of boxes, but will Aston Martin want to sign someone who has had such a hard time adjusting to McLaren and shows little sign of recovery?
On the other hand, Nyck de Vries is highly regarded in the paddock, and his recent performances in various FP1s with Williams and Mercedes have not hurt him.
In addition, he is part of the list of reserve drivers of Aston Martin, in the races in which Hulkenberg is not, and, therefore, there has already been some contact. The British team also still has its two compulsory FP1 sessions available for a rookie driver, so it would be interesting to be able to evaluate it on the track before making a final decision.
Don’t forget that the team uses Mercedes engines and that there are all sorts of connections between Stroll and Toto Wolff that would make such a deal easy.
Nyck de Vries, test and reserve driver for Mercedes in F1
Photo by: Carl Bingham / Motorsport Images
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