Will Aston Martin replace Vettel for experienced driver or up-and-coming talent?

Sebastian Vettel will retire after sixteen seasons in Formula 1. With his departure, the four-time world champion leaves behind a sought-after seat at Aston Martin. Even if the team is not competitive, the ambition is there and the prospective racing drivers are always there.

Aston Martin to go for experience with Hülkenberg or Ricciardo?

The first and easiest choice for the team would be Nico Hülkenberg. The team would be easiest to make the switch to Vettel's compatriot. Not because they are both from Germany, but because Hülkenberg is the team's reserve driver and took over the wheel from Vettel who had to stay at home this year due to being Covid positive. Hülkenberg is also an experienced driver with 181 GPs to his name. The only thing that does not speak in his favour is that he has never been a superstar. In all his races Hulkenberg has never taken a podium.

For experience, Aston Martin could look further to some drivers who are currently on the grid, but are under pressure from their own team. Aston Martin, which has ambitions to become world champion in the near future, would benefit greatly from an experienced driver who knows what it is like to win a race. With that in mind, Daniel Ricciardo would be a good candidate. The Australian has still not found his place at McLaren and although Zak Brown has tempered his criticism of the driver, the team is well aware that Ricciardo is not living up to expectations.

A second driver on the grid who could potentially move to Aston Martin is Pierre Gasly. The Red Bull junior seems to be stuck in the Red Bull group as the step up to Red Bull seems impossible as long as Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez are fighting to win the title for the team. Should Gasly come out from under his contract, a move to Aston Martin would perhaps breathe new life into his F1 career. A third driver on the grid who could potentially move to Aston Martin is Mick Schumacher. This option seems the most realistic as Haas is reportedly looking for a replacement for the driver and Aston Martin is interested. However, the German is not the experienced driver that Aston Martin would benefit from.

Piastri the up-and-coming talent and De Vries the unproven veteran

Then there are the up-and-coming talents, the F2 drivers and the Formula E drivers with Oscar Piastri as the biggest promise. The Alpine junior and former F2 champion is frequently mentioned in the rumours about the 2023 seat race. He is said to be aiming for Ricciardo's seat at McLaren, but Williams is also interested in working with the talent. A free seat at Aston Martin opens another door for the Australian. A move of Alexander Albon to Aston Martin is also a possibility, as the British-Thai driver drove some impressive races this year. His seat would then possibly become available for Piastri.

A final possible option we will discuss here would be the Dutch Nyck de Vries. De Vries won the F2 championship, became Formula E champion and is a test driver for Mercedes. The ties between Aston Martin and Mercedes could help the Dutchman with a potential F1 debut. It is not uncommon for engine manufacturers to offer drivers to teams that buy their engines. De Vries would not be an experienced F1 driver, but he would be a mature force who can adapt well to different racing classes and knows how to build up a good season. The Dutchman would not be the only one to make his F1 debut at a later age (he will be 28 at the start of the 2023 season). Brendon Hartley was 27 when he made his debut in 2017.