Sebastian Vettel’s retirement announcement  came after Aston Martin ‘requested’ he make a decision before the summer break as the team had already been in talks with Fernando Alonso for a ‘few weeks’.

That’s according to a report from Auto Motor und Sport.

Vettel announced last Thursday that this season would be his last in Formula 1, the decision surprising many in the paddock.

It was thought that it also surprised Aston Martin as team boss Mike Krack said they did not have a “Plan B” in mind should Vettel opt not to continue.

But, according to AMuS’s Tobias Gruner, it was with that Plan B in mind that Aston Martin urged Vettel to make a quick decision.