Formula 1 debuts regulations this season, and the bosses of the category hope that the new rules level things up and more teams can fight for the top positions. However, there are those who fear that the biggest teams will continue to dominate despite everything, and that finally the grid will not change too much.
Along these lines, Vettel gave his opinion this Thursday at the presentation of the Aston Martin AMR22 at the Gaydon facilities.
(Click on the photo or on the link to see all the photos of the new car)
After a 2020 in which Racing Point , with a car based on the Mercedes of the previous year, shone in the middle of the grid, the 2021 season, the first under the name of Aston Martin, only had a flash of lucidity precisely with the four-time champion, who achieved two podiums on the track before he was disqualified from Hungary and his account was reduced to just one.
Sebastian Vettel said the factors that held the team back last year won’t matter as much this season, noting in particular that the Silverstone team’s decision not to update its car for much of 2021 prevented them from showing progress.
“At the moment, everyone expects to be at the front,” Vettel said, before assuming that Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen, or at least Mercedes and Red Bull , would likely take the top spots. “If you look at the podium, it will be the same this year, so there is only room for one.”
“But we expect to be in much better shape than last year. We have the ability this year to develop the car, something we didn’t do last championship for probably more than three-quarters of the season. Then it will be very different.”
“Obviously last year we knew from the beginning that it was going to be a long and difficult season. So we hope for a better one now.”
Aston Martin is undergoing a huge transformation under owner Lawrence Stroll , and has also had a reshuffling of management over the winter.
Former team principal Otmar Szafnauer has left the team and Mike Krack will take his place. Although Vettel assured that he received Szafnauer’s departure with sadness, he was also eager to start working with Krack.
“I’ve always liked Otmar and get along with him, and I think it’s hard not to get along with him. He certainly had a very central role in the team. A lot of guys knew him because he’d been there for a long time and it’s clear that It’s a big change.”
“But you have to look forward. I think Mike is great and I’m really looking forward to working with him again.”
“He’s very highly regarded by everyone who’s teamed with him. So we’re going to see the real response, because it’s been a few years. But I think he’s a great, great guy and he’s got a great spirit. So I hope he brings a lot to the team”, explained Vettel in reference to Krack’s past in F1 with BMW , a team that gave the driver his first opportunity.
