The Limited Times

Now you can see non-English news...

Vettel on the rebound at Aston Martin ... with what ambitions?

2021-03-26T11:52:57.726Z


After a complicated end of the adventure with Ferrari, Sebastian Vettel is approaching the new season with ambition within the British team, back in Formula 1.


The road to rebirth?

After a last year at the wheel of a Ferrari in distress, Sebastian Vettel changed teams to join Aston Martin (ex-Racing Point).

Exit therefore Maranello, where the German had been thanked even before the start of a cataclysmic 2020 season, concluded in 13th place in the drivers' world ranking.

“At one point last year, I got used to the idea that it was the end,” he told

CNN

this month.

Obviously, if you think about it, it's because there was a good chance of not being on the grid the following year.

But here I am again! ”

Contractual discussions would have ended his adventure at the Scuderia in May 2020. “We had the ambition and the objective to win the championship, which we did not do.

It's a failure ”, agreed the double vice-world champion with Scuderia (2017, 2018) last December, after six seasons under the colors of the team at the Prancing Horse (14 wins).

In September, he finally got a seat, replacing Mexican Sergio Perez.

“I have no doubts that we can put Seb back in the right place,” said Otmar Szafnauer, Aston Martin Team Principal, at the grand launch of the new single-seater: the AMR21. 

# F1Testing?

Completed it.



Wake us up when it's race week ... pic.twitter.com/2QNZVm6VYX

- Aston Martin Cognizant F1 Team (@ AstonMartinF1) March 15, 2021

"Honey Rider" called to do better than "Lina" and "Lucilla"

And that of the quadruple world champion will respond to the name of "Honey Rider", as he revealed on the sidelines of the first Grand Prix of the season, in Bahrain this Sunday (5 pm, on Canal +).

Reference made to the character embodied on the screen by Ursula Andress on screen in the first James Bond (1962).

A singularity assumed by the native of Heppenheim, who has always given his car a little name.

Thus, “Honey Rider” is called upon to perform better than “Lina” and “Lucilla”, the last two single-seaters from Vettel at Ferrari. 

READ ALSO -

 Champagne and laurels or gravel pit?

A season of F1 in ten forecasts


READ ALSO -

 Mick Schumacher, in the name of the father ...

“This is the first of his generation, the start of a new story, we found it to fit well,” explained the new driver of the iconic British brand, who returns to Formula 1 60 years later.

“I quickly felt very comfortable with the car, even though everything was not rosy during the tests,” he said.

I get along well with the car although there is always something to learn.

I'm pretty relaxed, it should be okay. "

No team is ready for what lies ahead

Sebastian vettel

Calvary during pre-season testing

However, the start was complicated for Aston Martin and its German driver, whose ordeal during the pre-season testing (April 12-14) did not go unnoticed.

With only 117 laps, the fault of electrical and gearbox problems, Vettel completed the lowest total laps of the field, signing in passing the penultimate time of the triptych of Bahrain.

Pragmatic, this natural calm is not overly worried.

“We did not have enough time in the tests in front of the number of races that awaits us, he said Thursday.

I think that no team is ready for what will follow (23 races scheduled, a record).

I remain convinced that we will be in good shape.

We hope to be able to take advantage of the track this Friday to be ready for qualifying and the race. ” 

»READ ALSO - Perez-Sainz: the great challenge of the teammates of the cracks of F1


» READ ALSO - Yuki Tsunoda, the little Japanese who goes for it

Now alongside Lance Stroll, the son of billionaire Lawrence Stroll, owner of the team, the German should suffer less from the comparison with his teammate, as it had been the case with Charles Leclerc, new darling at Ferrari.

With the Canadian, he hopes above all to tickle the scarecrows Mercedes and Red Bull.

"I'm not running against Lance but against the whole grid and we do it as a team," cut the German.

We haven't driven enough to know where we are.

We will know from Saturday. ”

And finally Sunday, in order to know the intentions and the possibilities of Vettel and Aston Martin: hair scratching or real contenders?

Read also

  • Théo Pourchaire, the little Frenchman who goes faster than the others

Source: lefigaro

All news articles on 2021-03-26

You may like

Trends 24h

News/Politics 2024-03-28T06:04:53.137Z
News/Politics 2024-03-28T05:25:00.011Z

Latest

© Communities 2019 - Privacy

The information on this site is from external sources that are not under our control.
The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.