Marko: "When we had to act, Vettel was no longer available"

Throughout the summer of 2020, speculation about a possible replacement for Alexander Albon at Red Bull Racing was rife. The name of Sebastian Vettel was also mentioned, but he quickly signed for Aston Martin. However, if he had been a little more patient, things could have been very different, according to Helmut Marko when he spoke to F1-Insider.com.

"When Ferrari informed him, we had no room for 2021. We then assumed that Alexander Albon would develop in such a way that he could also drive alongside Max Verstappen in 2021. That is what I told Sebastian. Unfortunately we were wrong. When we had to act, Sebastian was no longer on the list because he has a long-term commitment with Aston Martin. Therefore, Sergio Perez was the logical decision for us."

Aston Martin was tempting for Vettel

Marko says he understands Vettel's choice, although he had advised the German to take a year off. "Aston Martin was very tempting. The name has a cult status, the close partnership with Mercedes offers sporting prospects. I can understand him, even if I personally would have waited.

"I was sure that there would be a vacancy at Mercedes for 2022, but not only there," Marko said without mentioning his own team by name. Vettel has now chosen the most competitive option that was readily available, but the Austrian does not think they need to fear the four-time world champion. He believes Racing Point was too far behind in 2020.