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Not fast enough?
The Aston Martin safety car in Melbourne
Photo: IMAGO/HOCH ZWEI / IMAGO/HochZwei
For Aston Martin, things are not going well in the new Formula 1 season.
The team led by Sebastian Vettel is the only racing team not yet to have a World Championship point after the first three races.
And even the British car manufacturer's safety car is causing criticism.
"This Aston Martin is slow as a tortoise," cursed world champion Max Verstappen at the Australian Grand Prix, and the Red Bull driver was not alone.
Charles Leclerc, world championship leader in the Ferrari, wanted to “almost complain on the radio” during the race, as he said.
But then he saw the safety car slipping in the corners and didn't want to put any pressure on it, said Leclerc.
Now even the Fia turns on.
In a statement, the world association defended Aston Martin and referred to the function of the safety car, namely to ensure the safety of everyone involved.
The speed of the safety car is generally determined by the race control and not by the capabilities of the car, it said.
In its statement, the Fia pointed out that the safety cars of both manufacturers are high-performance vehicles.
Since last season, two car manufacturers have provided the safety car.
Mercedes and Aston Martin share the racing calendar, with the Aston Martin making its debut in Melbourne.
Aston Martin's entry
For Aston Martin, the season opener should not be a good PR.
In 2021, the automaker entered Formula 1, also to advertise its own luxury sports cars.
Previously, Aston Martin was only the title sponsor of the Red Bull team.
The entry into Formula 1 also included sponsoring the safety car and the medical car with modified production cars.
The Mercedes used in the races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia had 740 hp, the Aston Martin in Melbourne 535 hp.
The background to the driver's criticism is the tire temperature, which falls at lower speeds, which in turn increases wear.
Apparently the drivers didn't have any problems in the first races.
Mercedes driver George Russell said after the Australian Grand Prix: "Seriously, the AMG is five seconds faster than the Aston Martin."
hba/Reuters
