The announcement that 2007 BMW-Sauber ‘reserve driver’ Sebastian Vettel is to also race in the ‘World Series by Renault’ next year cements his links with the energy drink Red Bull.
Complicatedly contracted to both formula one team owners, the German teenager will therefore race for Trevor Carlin’s Red Bull-sponsored junior team and also drive BMW’s grand prix car on F1 weekends.
“Together with Red Bull and BMW, I’m sure we can help to develop Sebastian as a driver and challenge for the (World Series) championship next season,” Briton Carlin said.
It is understood that BMW team principal Mario Theissen supports Vettel’s plans for next year, because – at just nineteen – further developing his race skills would be useful for a more extensive role in formula one in the future.
But the German chief said: “For us it was important that Sebastian does not have to compete in two different racing series over a formula one weekend. This finally led to the decision against a drive in the GP2 series.”
When the World Series and F1 calendars clash next year, a BMW-Sauber statement quoting Vettel as explaining that ‘formula one has priority, that much is clear’.
BMW-Sauber race driver Robert Kubica won the Renault junior series in 2005.
GMMF1
DailyF1News.com
