Vettel buys stake in Aston Martin

Sebastian Vettel will swap Ferrari red for Aston Martin green in 2021

Sebastian Vettel will be his own boss in 2021.

The German star has revealed he has invested in British sports car company Aston Martin, who’s new Formula 1 team he’ll drive for next season.

Aston Martin Lagonda trades on the London Stock Exchange and the largest shareholder is Racing Point owner Lawrence Stroll.

The famously private German confirmed over the Eifel Grand Prix weekend that he had taken a stake, but didn’t reveal how much he had invested or if it was tied to his deal to drive for the F1 team in 2021 and beyond. It’s been reported his deal with the team is for €15m per season, a significant pay cut from his €35m Ferrari salary; so it’s possible the shares were part of the deal to attract the four-time world champion to the current mid-field team.

Aston Martin has planned a new range of F1-inspired supercars to launch in the coming years as part of its Second Century plan

“I think everybody’s free to do what they want with their money,” Vettel told Autosport. “And as I know, Aston Martin is a public company, and everyone is free to invest in the company.

“So if you’re asking whether I have shares in the company, I have, but how much I think it’s a secondary thing, and I won’t talk about it.

“But I think I believe in the project, I’ve decided obviously to go with the project and I’m excited to see what happens when we kick off next year. And I’m starting for a new team.”

Vettel isn’t the only high-profile Aston Martin shareholder with Mercedes-Benz having a 5% stake (as part of its deal to supply engines, transmissions and electrical architecture to the band) and Mercedes-AMG F1 team boss Toto Wolff also taking a personal shareholding.

Vettel is also set to become a brand ambassador for the brand has part of his move to its new F1 team.