Aston Martin eye long-term Vettel deal ahead of crunch F1 talks

Aston Martin says it is hopeful of extending its relationship with Sebastian Vettel in the long-term ahead of talks over a new Formula 1 contract.

Vettel is in his second year at Aston Martin since joining from Ferrari in 2021, but currently does not have a seat secure for 2023 with his current contract expiring at the end of this season.

The four-time world champion has previously indicated that he would make a call on his F1 future depending on the Aston’s form, insisting he was in no rush to decide if he would continue after this year.

Speaking at last weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix, Aston Martin team principal Mike Krack was clear the team is keen for Vettel to stay and will not pressure him to make a decision sooner rather than later.

“We were always clear that if he wants to continue, we would like him to stay for long, yes,” Krack said, as quoted by Motorsport.com.

“We are talking. We have a very, very good relationship, and it is not that we have to set each other deadlines.

“Obviously at one point, if we drag that too long, we will also be running into trouble, and he’s aware of that.

“But they are very trustworthy discussions that we are having. From that point of view, it’s all good.”

Vettel has enjoyed a run of good form in recent races, scoring points at successive rounds in Monaco and Azerbaijan – where he claimed his best result of the season so far by finishing sixth.

The German struggled to find momentum in the first few races due to Aston Martin’s 2022 car lacking performance and Vettel himself missing the opening two events through Covid.

But since the Silverstone-based outfit unveiled its major upgrade package in Spain, the AMR22 has made a clear step forward and, with another update planned for the