A sporty up and down
Sebastian Vettel: Honest conclusion about debut season at Aston Martin
Sebastian Vettel during Formula 1 testing in Abu Dhabi in December. The first year at Aston Martin was pretty mixed for the 34-year-old.
© Hasan Bratic / Picture Alliance
After a season with few highs and numerous lows, Formula 1 driver Sebastian Vettel draws an honest conclusion about the achievements. Nevertheless, he is confident about the future.
This article first appeared on RTL.de.
A few highs, but all the more lows: The first Formula 1 season as an Aston Martin driver did not go at all according to Sebastian Vettel’s wishes. But not everything was bad in the eyes of the four-time world champion.
Missed your goals
Aston Martin and Sebastian Vettel missed their own goals, which were admittedly quite high, in the past Formula 1 season. The team actually wanted to go for third place in the constructors’ championship, get regular podium finishes and maybe even win one or two. What became of it is well known.
That’s one of the reasons why the Heppenheimer answered “formula1.com” when asked if he had imagined his first year with the British like this: “Yes and no.” The team was great and he really enjoyed working together, Vettel assured.
But in terms of results, the German admitted it didn’t go as planned. “The team and I expected more,” admitted Vettel, who shared responsibility for the crash with the new regulations for the 2021 season. “I think these changes have hit us hard. […] We did what we could.”
Hopes for 2022
As much as 2021 was a sporting ups and down for him, the hopes for 2022 are just as high, explained Vettel. “Hopefully we’ll get stronger with the new car, the new regulations and the growing team.” Looking back, not everything was bad last season either, said the four-time world champion. Among other things, he enjoyed the countless duels in midfield very much.
“It was very close there. And of course it’s something special against Fernando [Alonso] to fight. It’s been a long time since we’ve raced each other and some memories came back. […] That was fun, but of course we intend to be further ahead next year and fight for bigger trophies,” Vettel said, referring to the newly created Overtake Award, which he secured in 2021.