McLaren still pursuing Vettel
Martin Whitmarsh of McLaren has renewed his interest in signing up prodigy Sebastian Vettel of Red Bull when his contract ends in 2012. The manager, who pursued a possible contract in 2008 with Vettel, is eager to harness the 23-year-old German.
Vettel has experienced a varied season with Red Bull; unleashing the sheer power of the vehicle’s technology has been Vettel’s forte in qualifying sessions, but the driver has been unable to score more than two wins. Responsible for making serious errors
which caused other racers to crash out, safety car periods, penalties and lost podium opportunities, Whitmarsh harshly dubbed Vettel the “crash kid,” claiming that “under pressure this year, Sebastian is making just too many mistakes.”
Vettel drew a hefty amount of criticism from several sources this year, including team-mate Mark Webber and McLaren’s Jenson Button, for destroying their race hopes at Turkey and Belgium.
But Whitmarsh is prepared to give Vettel a chance to mature and sculpt his genius on the track into a more desirable product. Back in 2007, Whitmarsh’s hopes to sign Vettel were crushed when Red Bull took the rookie from Toro Rosso, as the manager was seeking
a suitable replacement for Fernando Alonso. “I am open and honest enough to admit it,” he states, according to espnf1.com. “Sebastian is one of the great and promising talents, and we at McLaren wanted to have him. We were not able to sign him at that time.
If he continues to develop so fantastically, then at the end of his contract I will try once again to get him.”
No doubt the top teams will all be vying for Vettel as soon as the driver is free, and if he keeps his current form, he is likely to have his pick of the crop in 2012.
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