Racing Point Formula 1 technical director Andrew Green believes the future Aston Martin team can help Sebastian Vettel find his “sweet spot” again having “lost his mojo a little bit”.
It was announced ahead of the Tuscan Grand Prix at Mugello that Vettel will join the Silverstone-based squad next year in place of Sergio Perez, following a difficult few seasons in which the four-time world champion has been usurped within Ferrari by Charles Leclerc.
Green says that both parties will benefit from the move, as Vettel – whose 53 career wins puts him behind only Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton – can bring knowledge of how to win races and championships, while the team can help him to rediscover his best form away from the pressure cooker environment of Maranello.
Vettel will join the rebranded Aston Martin team next year after being targeted by owner Lawrence Stroll as a key ingredient for future success.
He will be the first grand prix winner to drive for the squad since it re-signed Giancarlo Fisichella from Renault during its previous guise as Force India in 2008 and only the fifth in the long history of the team originally known as Jordan after Thierry Boutsen (1993), Damon Hill (1998), Heinz-Harald Frentzen (1999) and Jean Alesi (2001).
“I think he’s going to bring a completely new dynamic to the whole team,” said Green when asked what Vettel will contribute.
“It shows a measure of intent by Lawrence, where he wants to take the team, and what he wants to do with it. I think that’s a really strong statement.
“He’s a multiple world champion, he’s going to bring a methodology of working that we haven’t seen before. And that’s what we want.
“We want someone who’s been there and done it, and can show us what it takes. What does it take to start winning races? What does it take to win a championship? And he will bring that.
“And conversely, I think we can help Seb as well. I think he’s not in a great place at the moment in his head.
“I think he’s lost his mojo a little bit. And I think we are just the best team at turning drivers around and getting them back into their sweet spot.
“So I think we can really help him.”
Green agreed that the team’s leaner size makes it a place in which Vettel will be able to thrive.
“I think that will be the case,” he said.
“That’s who we are.
“We are very driver focused as well.
“We take a lot of time to understand our drivers and work with them, and we form a really strong relationship and bond with our drivers.
“And that helps to nurture them and to get them to feel comfortable and secure, and not worry that things are going on behind their backs.
“We take out all the politics and it just allows them to focus on driving the car as quickly as possible. And I think we can get Seb back into that place.”