Sebastian Vettel has stated that his future in Formula One will largely depend on whether Aston Martin can produce a car capable of winning races and titles.
Both the four-time world champion and Lance Stroll finished inside the points at last weekend’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, making the team the last to get off the mark in what has been a disappointing start to the 2022 season.
For Vettel, 34, he feels physically and mentally capable of remaining in F1 for years to come - and he is optimistic of Aston Martin’s progression.
“That is, I think, one of the big deciders, but the team is growing, there's a lot of things that look very, very promising,” the German told reporters.
“The answer is: time will tell. There will be key things that I will be looking at, to see how promising it is looking in the future and how soon. I'm not really old, I think I have physically a lot of years left, that's not a problem at all.
“I think that's ultimately the goal, to win and fight for podiums and victories, which currently we're far away [from]. But, as I said, there's plenty of work [going in], so that's also very exciting to know where we are now and to take the little steps, and define the path for the future.”
Former champion Jacques Villeneuve has questioned whether Lewis Hamilton will feel driven to continue in F1 if he cannot win another title, and Vettel outlined why motivation will also be a big factor in deciding when to hang up his racing gloves.
“In all honesty, I’ve had an amazing 15 years or so, looking back, and I was in a position to win championships and win a lot of races, fight for pole positions, get a lot of podiums, and obviously the taste was great,” he stated.
“It's not a secret that if you're not in a position to be there that it's a different taste. You need to find a different sort of motivation. But yeah, I think, ultimately, I'm willing to be tasting the same again. That's the nature of the sport.”
