Aston Martin’s Sebastian Vettel has revealed that there is a “clear intention” for him to continue with the team going into next year.
The German signed with the Silverstone-based squad last season, and he managed seven points finishes in a disappointing year for the team as they slumped to seventh in the Constructors’ Standings.
Things have not been going too much better this year either, with the German finishing in the points four times in 11 races, although his P6 at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix was a sign that the pace is there; they just need to find it.
The question remains going into next year as to whether Aston Martin will be endeavouring to find that performance with or without Vettel, but he indicated ahead of this weekend’s French Grand Prix that he would like to continue.
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“I am racing this weekend and the next one,” he said.
“Obviously, I’ve said that at some point, we will start to talk, I’m talking to the team.
“I think there’s a clear intention to keep going and we’ll see soon where we stand.”
As for this weekend, the British side are still trying to understand how to make their upgrades work for them, but the foundations are there for them to build from, so the French Grand Prix is set to be another fun challenge.
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“I’m looking forward to it – we had an update for Silverstone, but we didn’t fully get on top of it, not yet, so maybe this week we will get more answers,” added Vettel.
“It’s exciting and I hope we can be more competitive, get back into the midfield and more into the mix – it would be nice.”
The Circuit Paul Ricard in Le Castellet is set to drop off the calendar next season to make way for new and returning venues.
Generally, the circuit has not been a fan favourite since its return in 2018, and Vettel described it as “not the most exciting track in the world.”
However, “it is still quite challenging and technically demanding.”
Vettel is 14th in the Drivers’ Standings on 15 points heading into round 12, one position and three points ahead of good friend Mick Schumacher, who has scored points in each of the last two rounds.