"Extremely motivated" Vettel can take Aston Martin to next level - Szafnauer

Racing Point team principal Otmar Szafnauer is confident Sebastian Vettel will help the team take the "next step" it needs to challenge the top three in Formula 1.

Vettel was announced this week as Sergio Perez's replacement, joining the soon-to-be Aston Martin from 2021.

Szafnauer explained lengthy discussions took place before the decision was made to sign Vettel, but he insisted the move was crucial for the team to move forward.

"We took a bit of time to make the decision between Sergio and Sebastian," said Szafnauer. "It just goes to show what a great job Sergio has done for us in the last seven years.

"However, with Aston Martin coming in, we have a bit of financial backing behind the team, a new factory coming at Silverstone, improving the team and adding 20% more personnel.

"We have got some infrastructure, too, that we are embarking on to make us go faster, and therefore a driver like Sebastian, who brings with him the experience of winning four world championships and 53 races can only be beneficial for us.

"He will help us take that next step that we need in the coming years so that we can consistently race with the top three or four teams."

While Vettel has struggled in recent years, making a number of high-profile errors, Szafnauer remains confident the German will return to the form of old.

"He is 33 years old, he is still in the prime of his career," he added. "He has got a vast amount of experience and is extremely motivated to do well.

"He works really hard and we believe with our team and where we want to take it to, Seb is a perfect fit for that. I am confident he will race well."

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