Former Aston Martin engineer Bernie Collins recently appeared on a Beyond the Grid episode with host Tom Clarkson. During the interview, Clarkson asked Collins if it meant a lot to her that Sebastian Vettel gave her a public “thank you“. Collins, who now works as an F1 presenter, said that had Vettel not stolen her thunder, his appreciation would have meant more.
“It would have meant more if he hadn’t [announced his retirement from F1] and stolen my thunder! But, yeah, you know, to have someone of his stature. He came in as a four-time world champion. Very strong persona, very well respected in the paddock,” explained the former Aston Martin engineer.
Collins then concluded her remarks by stating that she felt nice to have been appreciated the way Vettel praised her for her contributions. She believed that the former German driver stole her thunder by announcing his retirement from the sport at the same time she was stepping away from her role at Aston Martin.
Collins and Vettel did indeed have a very strong relationship. The 36-year-old also gave Collins a kiss on the team radio following her last race with Aston Martin. On hearing Vettel’s remarks, she began blushing.
After moving away from Aston Martin, Collins has taken up the role of an F1 presenter with Sky Sports. On the other hand, Vettel has decided to step away from F1 permanently. He’s now spending more time with his family and is also spreading awareness about the need to preserve the environment.
Bernie Collins is now one of F1’s top presenters
Having worked at Aston Martin (previously Force India) and McLaren, Bernie Collins understands F1 inside out. As a result of the same, she uses this knowledge to analyze the strategy different teams use during a race.
As for why she left her role at Aston Martin, she explained in an interview in April last year. While appearing on the Sky F1 podcast, she explained (as quoted by gpfans.com) about how it becomes difficult for her to work as a part of Aston Martin’s strategy team for 22-23 races in a calendar year.
As a result, she decided to quit since she was looking for a better “home/life balance“. She added at the time of the interview that she now hopes to learn more about the responsibilities of being a presenter. Collins stated that she wants to learn the technicalities of how to produce a program for the viewers.
As for Sebastian Vettel, his retirement may not last long. In an interview with Sky Sports back in September 2023, he teased that there is a glimmer of hope that he may reverse his retirement decision. When asked if he will return to F1 after a break, the former Red Bull driver replied (as quoted by formula1.com), “I can’t say no, because you don’t know“.
Vettel then expanded by stating that he is continuing to keep himself race-fit since he has not ruled out a return just yet. His remarks from last year would indeed be music to the ears of fans, who would be eager to see him compete once again.
