Sebastian Vettel has hailed the arrival of ex-McLaren Formula One manager Martin Whitmarsh at Aston Martin as a “strong recruitment.”
Whitmarsh, who joined Aston Martin as Group CEO last month, is the company’s latest high-profile hire as it continues to expand under new owner Lawrence Stroll.
Whitmarsh’s return to F1 follows his tenure as McLaren’s team principal from 2009 to 2014. As a member of the manufacturer’s senior leadership team, he will supervise Aston Martin’s new Performance Technologies business.
Vettel, a four-time F1 world champion, said that while he didn’t know Whitmarsh well, he was certain that it was another solid addition to Aston Martin’s push to become a title-contending team.
“I know Martin from just when he left, I started more or less in Formula 1,” Vettel said.
“I’ve never worked with him and I don’t know him good enough to judge. So I think we need to be open-minded.
“Obviously we expected to strengthen the team, otherwise there is no point signing new people or adding people to the team.
“I think it looks like a strong recruitment, and hopefully helps us to achieve what we want to achieve in the future.”
Lance Stroll, Vettel’s teammate, described Whitmarsh’s entry as “very exciting,” adding to the recent boom that saw Aston Martin begin ground on a new factory, which is scheduled to be completed by early 2023 at the latest.
“Martin was involved with McLaren for a long time when they were very successful, and I think it’s really exciting to have him on board to help grow this team,” Stroll said.
“We’ve been bringing a lot of I think very talented people on board over the last few months. I think Martin is a great addition to this team.
“I think everything that is happening now within this team, the new factory that is in the process of being built, and Martin coming on board is all very constructive.
“It’s all leading towards the goals that we want to achieve in the coming years.”
Fernando Alonso, one of the few drivers on the current grid who has previously worked with Whitmarsh, competed for McLaren in 2007 while Whitmarsh was chief operating officer. Whitmarsh was described as a “great addition to any team” by Alonso.
“For Aston, I’m sure he’s going to be a big help,” Alonso said.
“He’s very clever, a good leader as well. Unfortunately it’s not in our team, but we have great people as well.
“It’s good to see Martin and a lot of guys, they deserve a lot of credit, and now they are back in the sport, so it’s the benefit of everyone in the paddock.”
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