These drivers are of interest to Aston Martin if Vettel leaves Aston Martin

Sebastian Vettel's contract expires at the end of the season and the German is openly doubting his future in the sport. GPblog lists what kind of replacement Aston Martin should look for and who the candidates are.

A new frontman for Aston Martin

Should Vettel indeed leave Aston Martin, the team's figurehead will depart. Vettel was brought in as a replacement for Sergio Perez because getting a four-time world champion was an "opportunity not to be missed" according to Lawrence Stroll. A logical reasoning from a marketing standpoint.

With Vettel, the car brand was able to market to promote the new team, wherewith Perez and Stroll it was less easy. If Aston Martin is looking for a replacement for Vettel, then that person should at least be an experienced name within the sport. However, world champions like Seb are not for the taking.

Another important role is that of a leader within the team. Vettel is known as a technically savvy driver, who is very capable of developing the team in the right direction. We do not know if Lance Stroll has these qualities, so a replacement for Vettel should preferably also have the necessary experience in F1 to take a team by the hand.

Gasly

The most suitable candidate seems to be Pierre Gasly. With Sergio Perez's performance at Red Bull Racing, the Frenchman barely stands a chance of a spot in the top team and has made no secret of his desire to take the next step. Although Aston Martin is a step down at the moment, the British team does have the potential and resources to at least grow above AlphaTauri.

Gasly has a race win in Formula 1 under his belt, has been the clear leader at AlphaTauri for years and even has six months of experience at a top team. The Frenchman is not considered a top driver, but at the back of the grid, he will also be hard for Aston Martin to pin down. Gasly is the ideal mix of experience and talent.

Alonso

An interesting situation has also arisen at Alpine, with three good drivers available for two seats. Esteban Ocon has a contract until 2024 and is therefore not an option for Aston Martin, but Fernando Alonso's contract expires. The Spaniard has indicated that he would still like to stay in F1 but has a young talent on his heels with Oscar Piastri from the Alpine Academy.

For Alonso too, Aston Martin would be a step back on the grid, but he will also recognise that there is plenty of potential within the company. The question, however, is whether Lawrence Stroll is capable of getting his team to do the job.

Alonso would be even better than Gasly from the Aston Martin perspective. Of course, Alonso is not the youngest anymore, but he is showing at Alpine that he has not lost his touch with racing. In addition, as a two-time world champion, he is an icon within the sport, giving the brand an ideal showcase. The question is whether Alonso is interested.

Hulkenberg

Aston Martin also has an experienced driver on the bench. Nico Hulkenberg has made a number of appearances in F1 after leaving at the end of 2019, showing time and again that he is still a strong driver. The German is also technically proficient and can help a team advance on the grid.

Hulkenberg himself would love to get into that green car, but Aston Martin will hesitate. Hulkenberg is not exactly a figurehead and, at 34 years of age, clearly not at his peak. After all, he will have been without a seat for three years and perhaps that, especially at that age, is a bit too much.

Will Stroll be the leader?

It could also be that Aston Martin is looking at the situation in a different way. Lance Stroll is far from convincing on the track, but with his father as owner, he still has a contract for life. He is 23 years old and in his sixth season in F1. So he could well be outplayed as the front-runner in the meantime.

Again, on the track Stroll does not show it, but maybe his father sees it differently and bombards his son as the new frontrunner of the team. In this case, the second driver would not necessarily have to meet the requirements of a leader and a front-runner, but the formation could also look at future talents or competitive partners for Stroll. Under the latter heading, Hulkenberg could also fit in just fine.

Piastri

The name that is going around the most this year is Oscar Piastri. The Australian is a talent of the Alpine Academy and managed to win successively the Formula 3 and Formula 2 titles as a rookie. The Australian is perhaps the greatest talent of his generation, but the seats at Alpine are occupied.

Alonso's contract is expiring so there's a chance Piastri could get that seat, but you can also understand if the French team is holding on to the two-time world champion. In that case, a new place must be found for the team's current reserve driver, and Aston Martin sounds like a logical destination in that case.

Next to Stroll, Piastri could develop very well. The Australian will meet a driver with six years of experience in the sport, but one who is not super highly regarded. A good opportunity for Piastri to develop himself and prove himself in the sport.

Giovinazzi

Antonio Giovinazzi is in Ferrari's set-up but was empty-handed after leaving Alfa Romeo in 2022. He is active in Formula E this year but would like to return to the top class of motorsport. Giovinazzi has two years of experience in F1 and proved to be a solid teammate for Kimi Raikkonen.

Pouchaire

Theo Pourchaire is at the top of the 2022 Formula 2 championship and belongs to the Sauber Academy. The Frenchman is only eighteen years old but extremely talented. Should Sauber/Alfa Romeo stick with the current lineup, Pourchaire may be in the market for other teams as well.

Lawson/Vips

Like Pourchaire, Liam Lawson and Juri Vips are tied up at another race team. The Red Bull junior talents have a good chance of securing a spot within AlphaTauri in 2023, but the chances of both of them being moved on are not great. So it is possible that one of these talented drivers will become available and could make the move to Aston Martin.