The origin of the rumors about Vettel’s withdrawal | FormulaPassion.it

In the days leading up to the Monza appointment, the whisper of a possible – surprising – decision by Sebastian Vettel to hang up his helmet at the end of the season, he had become more and more authoritative, so much so that both the driver and the Aston Martin team found themselves having to deny this scenario. But the days pass and the official nature of an agreement that was taken for granted – also because in the press release of the German’s signature there was talk of “season 2021 and beyond”- still late in arriving. Reassurances also came from Lawrence Stroll, number one of the British team, who said that he had presented his offer to the German rider, to which a response is expected “imminent“. But even here there was no shortage of rumors about an attempt by the Canadian fashion magnate – then unsuccessful – to wrest from the Alpine Fernando Alonso in recent weeks, even these drafts denied by the Aston Martin men.

It was to tell how the rumors about Vettel’s withdrawal were born Jack Plooij, Dutch journalist, at the Grand Prix Radio podcast. The reporter had been chosen by the organizers of Zandvoort to conduct the parade interviews of the riders before the race: “Before getting into the truck, we were waiting in an orderly fashion, and one of the drivers approached me and whispered to me: ‘Vettel retires‘”. Pressed by his colleagues, Plooij did not want to reveal the identity of his source, but in all probability one of the most surprising market rumors of recent times started from here. From a fantasy-market perspective, assuming a definitive stop for the German former Ferrari, clearly the timing for Aston Martin would not be the best, with most of the drivers already married for 2022. The figures most likely to be approached by the English team would be the ‘usual’ Nico Hulkenberg and the Formula E champion Nyck De Vries.

FP | Stefano Ollanu

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED