When Sebastian Vettel announced his retirement from Formula 1 in July last year, he foreshadowed it with a profound message for the future. Vettel said in the video posted to Aston Martin’s YouTube channel, “The marks I left on track will stay until time and rain will wash them away. New ones will be put down. Tomorrow belongs to those shaping today. The next corner is in good hands as the new generation has already turned in.”
The likes of Oscar Piastri and Liam Lawson seem to have proven the four-time champion right. Both rookies have already left their marks on the sport in their limited time on the track. Thus, fulfilling Vettel’s prophecy. And the German was quick to laud the duo while speaking to ESPN F1.
Vettel was pretty candid about Piastri and Lawson being prodigious talents which has always been apparent to him. “It’s the kind of kids you see, when I was around in Formula 1 already, and the names, they pop up every now and then in go karting and in all the junior categories. So, it’s not a surprise when they eventually come through,” explained the former Red Bull driver.
He added, “It’s obviously a great chance for Liam [Lawson] now. Very surprising and not easy. But great to see that in his second race, I think he picked up a lot more. He will only grow from there.”
Vettel is glad that his foresight in leaving the sport to the younger generation has actually been paying off. “It’s great to, you know, see new faces and it’s also what I meant when I left. All the marks that I might have left will disappear and wash out one day. There’s new kids, new guys, new drivers leaving new marks on the track,” concluded the German.
Oscar Piastri and Liam Lawson are stars for the future
This season has seen two F1 rookies absolutely shine in the sport. Oscar Piastri has been a standout performer for McLaren this year. Ever since Lando Norris made his Grand Prix debut with the team back in 2019, Piastri seems to be the biggest challenge he’s faced yet.
After winning the F2 championship back in 2021, Piastri had to sit a year out. However, he’s seamlessly transitioned into life at the pinnacle of motorsport. Despite an uphill task to get acclimatized with the latest generation of cars, the Aussie has shown his supreme talents, wringing out some amazing results for himself and the team.
But what makes Piastri’s rookie year even more spectacular is the fact that not only has he been right up there with Norris, but with the MCL60 being arguably the second-fastest car on the grid now, the Australian has trumped the Briton in terms of accolades, too. At the 2023 Qatar GP, Piastri scored his first F1 win in the sprint, an achievement that still eludes Norris.
Similarly, Liam Lawson had a stellar record in both the European junior categories and the Japanese Super Formula series. But his real moment in the sun came after he was drafted in to replace an injured Daniel Ricciardo at AlphaTauri for a handful of races. He burst onto the scene with some amazing drives. At the 2023 Singapore GP, he clinched his first points in just his third Grand Prix.
