Aston Martin "foolish" if no attempt made to retain Vettel

Mike Krack has warned Aston Martin would be "foolish not to retain" Sebastian Vettel beyond his current F1 contract.

Four-time champion Vettel, whose two-year deal with the team expires at the end of the current season, has made no secret of the fact Aston Martin's on-track performance will be vital in his decision on whether to remain.

Asked if there was a desire to retain the German's services beyond 2022, team principal Mike Krack explained: "I'm not going to speak about contracts here.

"But if you have a driver like Sebastian Vettel that you can keep motivated by giving him the car that he deserves, [with] the quality of his driving, I think we would be foolish not to retain him."

Speaking ahead of the Imola weekend, Vettel refused to rule out retiring from the sport come the end of the year and explained the different taste of the midfield to battling for victories.

Adding that "how soon" Aston Martin can offer him a car capable of fighting at the front will be pivotal in his thinking, Krack commented: "I 100 per cent understand his comments.

"He wants to see progress, he wants to see the car moving forward because he is not a driver that wants to fight for P18 or P16 or whatever.

"So I fully understand his comments and it is up to us to deliver the tool that is needed for him to perform."

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