Sebastian Vettel Should Have Waited For Red Bull Or Mercedes, Says F1 Legend

Red Bull Racing’s chief advisor Helmut Marko feels Sebastian Vettel was a little too quick to accept Aston Martin’s offer for a drive in 2021.

Formula 1 heavyweights Ferrari informed Vettel about its decision not to renew his contract prior to the start of the 2020 season leaving him in the lurch for 2021.

Marko wanted to see the four-time F1 champion in a race-winning vehicle and thus advised the German to take a sabbatical in 2021 rather than accept the first offer on the table.

The head honcho was certain one of Mercedes or Red Bull--the two leading contenders in F1 at the moment--will have a vacancy in 2022.

“It was clear that Sebastian would have another difficult season with Ferrari. I didn’t want him to act rashly, but to wait. Because it was clear to me that fundamental things would change in the driver market for 2022. For example, I was sure that there would be a vacancy at Mercedes then. But not only there,” Marko told F1-Insider.

“More in general, I advised Sebastian to take time off. But that also included Red Bull," he continued. "I just wanted him to still be on the market at the right time, so he could take the best possible offer. Above all, I didn’t want a four-time world champion to say goodbye to Formula One like that. Not as a friend, and not as a Red Bull man.”

Vettel made an inquiry about a spot at Red Bull in 2021 before accepting the offer from Aston Martin. The Austrian team, however, turned down the driver.

At the time, the Enstone-based team was certain that Alexander Albon will develop sufficiently to nail down a place alongside Red Bull poster boy Max Verstappen this year.

But the season did not go according to plan with Albon failing to impress the Red Bull bosses. He was eventually replaced by Mexico's Sergio Perez.

“When Ferrari gave him notice, we had no place left for 2021. At the time, we firmly assumed that Alexander Albon would develop positively, so that he would also be able to drive alongside Max Verstappen in 2021," Marko explained.

"That’s what I told Sebastian. Unfortunately, we were wrong. When we had to act, Sebastian was no longer on the list because he had made a long-term commitment to Aston Martin. Therefore, Sergio Perez was the logical decision for us."