There is only one seat left in Formula 1

Image: Aston Martin F1

In a fully anticipated, if somewhat disappointing, move on Thursday, Cognizant Aston Martin F1 confirmed it will keep Lance Stroll in second place in Formula 1 for his fourth year on the team and sixth year in the sport. That news comes months after Team Sebastian Vettel was re-signed for a second season and allegedly stopped while finalizing the contractual clause. Lance is the son of team owner Lawrence Stroll, so I’m not sure how the contract negotiations could possibly have gone. Was he allowed to borrow the family’s large yacht on Tuesdays?

The works Aston driver achieved a total of three podiums during his time in sport, two of them in 2020 when he drove what is probably the third-best car in the field. He hasn’t done quite as well in the 2021 season so far. The young Canadian managed to finish just 50 percent of the races in 2021 on the points and is 11 points behind his teammate Sebastian Vettel, who took two podiums this year (just to have one deducted due to a technical fuel regulation ). .

“Next season I will start my sixth year in Formula 1 together with my team-mate Sebastian,” announced Stroll the younger. “We started this Aston Martin team campaign together and I’m really looking forward to continuing the journey with him next year.

“We didn’t achieve what we set out to do this year, but that only increased our hunger and our will to succeed next season. With the prestige and support of Aston Martin and the brilliant new sponsoring partners that such a prestigious brand has won, we are now well positioned to improve our performance in 2022. “

Strolling probably wouldn’t have been my choice if I had run Aston Martin, but unfortunately, I am not, and someone who shares their last name is. Sometimes the biscuit crumbles like this. Rich guys make the decisions.

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In any case, the F1 starting field remains closed for the 2022 season, apart from a hotly contested seat on the Alfa Romeo team next to the newly appointed Mercedes-Benz demoted Valtteri Bottas. Since Kimi Raikkonen will retire at the end of the 2021 season, Bottas will effectively take over his place. The other seat, currently held by Italian Antonio Giovinazzi, has not yet assigned an official wheelman.

Gio has seriously improved his pace in the last Grands Prix, maybe to keep his starting position. Despite my desire to see fresh talent on the grid at every step of the process, I think this is where Antonio has an opportunity to prove he’s worth it. If he can’t deliver next season, it’s time to find a job that does something different.

So there you have it. The F1 grid 2022 is almost ready. Who would you like to see in the other Alfa seat? Is there someone on the starting grid who you think doesn’t deserve to be there? * cough Mazepin cough * Who do you think will adapt best and fastest to the new regulations of 2022, which supposedly allow closer races and better pass actions? Let’s discuss.