London, Sep 17 (IANS): Formula 1 team Aston Martin have confirmed an unchanged pairing of Sebastian Vettel and Lance Stroll for next year.

Vettel had joined Aston Martin from Ferrari at the start of this season, netting the team's first podium at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The four-time champion will continue his journey with the British team next year alongside Canadian driver Stroll, as Formula 1 moves into its new era of regulations.

"I am really looking forward to racing the new generation of Formula 1 cars," said Vettel. "Their look is very different and the new technical regulations should give us cars that can race much more closely than recently," the German told formula1.com on Thursday.

"More exciting racing will be great for the drivers as well as for the fans. The changes are so big that every team will be starting from a new beginning, so it will be a great opportunity for us at Aston Martin… I believe in the strength of our new growing team, so I am already looking forward to 2022."

Stroll, meanwhile, added, "Next season I will be embarking on my sixth year in Formula 1, alongside my team-mate Sebastian… and I greatly look forward to continuing the journey with him next year. We have not achieved what we set out to do this year, but that has only amplified our hunger and drive for success next season."

Vettel was signed to Aston Martin on a 'one plus one' contract, giving the team an option on his services for 2022, which they decided to take up. Speaking of his driver line-up for 2022, Team Principal Otmar Szafnauer said, "Lance is one of the most gifted drivers in modern Formula 1, and to that raw talent he is now adding serious racecraft.

"A four-time world champion, having driven 271 Grands Prix, of which he has won 53, Sebastian is also a massive asset to our team, and next year we expect both of them to race well in what will be a very different formula from the current one.

"We never under-estimate our opposition, so we do not intend to over-promise, but we know that Lance and Sebastian will get the very best from the tools we will put at their disposal."

Aston Martin currently sit seventh in the constructors' standings on 59 points. The team's driver announcement, meanwhile, leaves just the second seat at Alfa Romeo to be filled alongside Valtteri Bottas for next year, while Haas are also yet to confirm their 2022 line-up.