Sebastian Vettel has spoken on his future in F1, following a tricky start to the season at Aston Martin.
The four-time world champion missed the first two rounds of the 2022 season after testing positive for COVID 19. However, Vettel’s return at the Australian Grand Prix could not have gone much worse.
Aston Martin’s 2022 challenger had thus far proved uncompetitive; the team had not scored a single point in Vettel’s absence. Therefore, expectations were not exactly high for Australia.
Sadly, the whole weekend was a disaster. Vettel crashed in FP3, before exiting qualifying in Q1 after just a single hot lap. The situation did not improve in the race.
Struggling with an unpredictable car, the Aston Martin driver lost control at turn four, crashing and bringing an early end to his Australian Grand Prix.
To add insult to injury, Vettel also received a fine of €5000 for riding a moped around the Albert Park circuit after a free practice session.
Question marks over Vettel’s future
Following this terrible weekend, members of the paddock have questioned the German’s desire to continue in Formula 1. Former Minardi team boss Gianluca Minardi was particularly dismissive, saying that Sebastian Vettel “should retire” from F1.
Even before Australia, Helmut Marko said that the former world champion may leave if Aston Martin cannot provide a points-scoring car.
Read: Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko rubs salt into Lewis Hamilton wound with lap jibe
“You have to build a more competitive car,” insisted the Red Bull advisor. “Because if you drive outside the points, then the motivation is not the greatest.”
Improvement at Imola
Mercifully, Aston Martin and Vettel had a much better showing last weekend.
The changing weather conditions during the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix played right into the hands of the British outfit. Both Vettel and his teammate Lance Stroll managed to finish in the points, taking eighth and tenth place respectively.
This collection of championship points provides a vital confidence boost for the team. Vettel described the eighth-place finish as feeling “like a victory”. However, he stressed to Autosport that the car still needs work.
“We are not the fastest at the minute,” conceded the German. “I think we are pretty much at the other side of the field.
“I think if you watch the onboard, our car is very difficult to drive and even down the straights, you need to be focused. So yeah, it’s what it is. But therefore, it’s very tasty, very sweet to have the result today.”
Despite the improvement, the four-time world champion remains coy about his future.
Sebastian Vettel hesitant on F1 future
Speaking in an interview with German paper Bild, Sebastian Vettel admitted that his F1 future weighs heavy on his mind.
“I’m still active,” said Vettel. “My contract runs until the end of the year. A decision has not yet been made. It depends on how strong the car is, how the team develops and how the races go.
“But I don’t have to lie: my future is an issue that’s coming my way. And with which I deal. The truth is, I have a lot of ideas, I talk to a lot of people, and I’m easily inspired.”
His comments may have worried fans that Vettel will potentially leave the sport. However, the former Red Bull and Ferrari driver does not know what his future holds.
“But I’m not putting myself under any pressure to create the perfect subsequent career tomorrow. I don’t want to raise expectations of finding perfection. I’ve found something in F1 that I’m very good at. Something where I can compete with the best in the world. What comes after that, time will tell.
“I am currently doing my job. I said two years ago that I’ll drive for two more years. But I don’t think about life after every day now.”
Featured Image Credit: Getty