mobile app bar

“He just doesn’t want to do that to himself”- Former team principal explains why Sebastian Vettel does not want to drive for Aston Martin anymore

Somin Bhattacharjee
Published

"He just doesn't want to do that to himself"- Former team principal explains why Sebastian Vettel does not want to drive for Aston Martin anymore

Former Force India team principal Colin Kolles feels that Sebastian Vettel has no intention of driving for Aston Martin anymore. 

Vettel spent seven seasons at Ferrari before leaving the Italian team for Aston Martin in 2021. In his first season at the Silverstone based outfit, he finished 12th with 43 points to his name.

Ahead of the regulation changes in 2022, many expected Aston Martin to make some major strides towards their quest to win a Championship. However, it’s all gone horribly wrong for the British team.

Their car hasn’t been anywhere near the points in the first two races of the season. The fact that Mercedes have a weaker engine compared to Ferrari’s and Red Bull’s, does not help either.

Vettel missed the first two outings this year due to a positive Covid result, with Nico Hulkenberg filling in for him. He is due to make his first appearance of the season at the upcoming Australian GP.

Kolles, who was team Silverstone’s boss back during their Force India days, feels that Vettel has no desire to drive for the team anymore.

Also read: Former F1 driver ‘irritated’ by Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon’s duel in Jeddah

Sebastian Vettel does not want to be at a team where the owner thinks he’s team leader

Lawrence Stroll bought the Silverstone based outfit in 2018, rebranding it into ‘Racing Point’. For the first two seasons, they finished seventh in the Standings. In 202o, they made a major push towards finishing third and just missed out on it.

In 2021, Racing Point became Aston Martin, and Stroll insisted that he wanted to take the iconic name to the top of F1. Kolles on the other hand, feels that with the Canadian at the helm, this team does not have much of a future.

“I don’t think he wants to drive at all. He just doesn’t want to do that to himself,” Kolles said while talking about Vettel. It’s certainly a very daring thesis but I’m sure that he thinks a lot about whether he should still be doing what he’s doing.”

“They have a team owner who thinks he is the team leader,” he continued. He knows best about everything and puts his son at the center with all of his power.”

“If you take a million in any currency and throw it on a fire, the money will burn up just as quickly as it will in Formula 1 if you don’t know what you’re doing.”

Aston Martin are currently ninth in the Drivers’ Standings ahead of Williams, both of whom haven’t’ scored a point yet.

Also read: Haas boss Guenther Steiner stakes claim to be the best-of-the-rest in Constructors Standings

About the author

Somin Bhattacharjee

Somin Bhattacharjee

x-iconinstagram-iconlinkedin-icon

Formula 1 Editor Somin Bhattacharjee fell for the sport as well as Fernando Alonso on the same day — during the Spaniard’s thrilling victory at the German GP in 2010. Over the years, the passion magnified manyfold, and metamorphosed into a writing career in 2021. Though holding a bachelor's degree in marketing, Somin discovered his true calling in writing. He has penned over 2,700 articles for TheSportsRush, presenting a diverse range — news reports, opinions, and exclusives. A true Tiffosi, Somin never gives up on a chance to defend the Ferrari boys as a fan. As a sports writer though, he remains objective to the core and relishes opportunities to follow and engage in dissecting the action during races. That’s where the real thrill lies for him. Beyond the racetrack, Somin plays different sports including soccer. He enjoys exploring other sporting events and proudly supports Spanish soccer club Real Madrid.

Share this article