Sebastian Vettel sent Aston Martin a congratulatory message after Fernando Alonso’s Bahrain GP podium

After the Bahrain GP, Sebastian Vettel messaged Fernando Alonso's chief mechanic at Aston Martin, Mikey Brown, congratulating the team on the podium finish.

Sebastian Vettel sent Aston Martin a congratulatory message after Fernando Alonso’s Bahrain GP podium

Sebastian Vettel with Aston Martin's Mikey Brown, who now serves as Fernando Alonso's chief mechanic

Sebastian Vettel retired at the end of last season, and Aston Martin brought Fernando Alonso as his replacement. The German had been thinking about retirement for some time, and according to his father, the ‘final straw’ was the 2022 Austrian Grand Prix weekend. At the tail end of July, he announced his retirement through a video, sending a domino effect through Formula 1, and prompting many subsequent roster changes.

In the last three seasons of his career, Vettel, a four-time world champion, had not been in a competitive package. The first of the disappointments came in 2020 – the Ferrari SF1000 was a disaster. At the end of the season, he was shown the exit door. He came to Aston Martin, who had been fourth the previous season, into a lower-midfield package. Things did not improve much in 2022, but during the second half of the season, the package was more competitive.

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Vettel looked rejuvenated but did not go back on his retirement decision. There was optimism among the Aston Martin pack coming into 2023, and everyone expected improvements. But basically, no one expected them to be the second-best car (on race pace), both in pre-season testing and during the main event in Bahrain. Alonso took a well-deserved podium at the end of the affair.

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Despite the good result, some Vettel fans were left feeling a little wistful – feeling that the German could have been the one in Alonso’s pace. Mike Krack has said previously that he hopes Vettel will regret his retirement decision. Following Lance Stroll’s accident, there were rumors that Vettel could race in his place. That did not come to be. But after the Bahrain GP, the German congratulated Mikey Brown, formerly his chief mechanic (and now Fernando Alonso’s).

Read More: Aston Martin chief hopes Sebastian Vettel will regret decision to retire from F1

Mikey Brown: Sebastian Vettel was “so happy” for Aston Martin

Fernando Alonso and his chief mechanic at Aston Martin, Mikey Brown, who previously worked with Sebastian Vettel
Fernando Alonso and his chief mechanic at Aston Martin, Mikey Brown, who previously worked with Sebastian Vettel

Speaking on the PitStop podcast, Mikey Brown said of Sebastian Vettel: “We just got on well – he got on well with everyone, not just me. He texted me on Sunday, after the race, and [he] was so happy for us, you know, [which] he didn’t have to do? It was just nice to hear from him. [Him] sending a message and base it to me and all the boys, to say how happy he was for us, and so good to see us back up there.”

When co-host Fabio Bocca put to Brown that Vettel probably wishes he ‘stuck around for another year’, the Aston Martin mechanic replied: “Yeah, it’s just timing, isn’t it? It’s just timing. But, you know, he’s happy, he’s at home, doing what he wanted to with his kids. He ended on a good note, I think. We had a good Abu Dhabi [Grand Prix].” and added: “That’s motorsport, isn’t it? You never know what car you’re going to get from one year to another.”

It must be somewhat bittersweet for Vettel that the Aston Martin package is very competitive just the year after his retirement. But he wanted to spend time with his family, which he definitely will, now and in the future. Of course, he has not completely ruled out a return to Formula 1 – and some fans still hold out hope to see him back on the grid again.

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