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“I have no idea what he was thinking”: Sebastian Vettel’s former teammate couldn’t believe what Aston Martin veteran did in Turkey

Somin Bhattacharjee
Published

"That I think is the main weakness" - Sebastian Vettel highlights the element holding back Aston Martin in their debut F1 season

Sebastian Vettel and his decision to change to slicks in the Turkish GP left former Red Bull teammate Mark Webber amazed and confused. 

The four-time World Champion was in contention for possible points finish in Turkey before pitting for slicks. In the 38th lap of the race, Sebastian Vettel felt a dry line starting to emerge on track.

Surprisingly, he took a huge gamble and decided to replace his intermediate tires with medium-compound ones. This decision effectively cost him a points finish in Istanbul.

The rain was never too heavy in Istanbul Park Circuit this year, but there was certainly no grip for slicks. Sebastian Vettel was the first and only driver to take this risk. Unfortunately for the Aston Martin driver, it did not pay off.

Sebastian Vettel was always looking for someone to serve as Guinea Pig, says Webber

The Australian former Formula 1 driver said he was actually impressed by this decision of his. ”I actually liked it because normally he never did this,” said Webber.

“He never made the first decision. He was always looking for someone to serve as a guinea pig so he was trying something incredible now. I had no idea what he must have been thinking.”

”The team cares about those few points, but that doesn’t matter much to Vettel. He wants to have a big success. However, the dryline was so narrow that overtaking had also become very difficult.”

“It was a daring attempt, but within fifteen seconds, it was already clear to him that he had made the wrong choice. Compliments for the attempt though”, he added.

The race ended with Sebastian Vettel finishing P18 well outside the points. Teammate Lance Stroll however, took home a couple of points finishing P9.

Aston Martin have had a tough 2021 season with them sitting 7th in the Constructors’ Championship. Vettel and Stroll sit in 12th and 13th place in the Drivers’ standings respectively.

Also read: “Life doesn’t belong to the employer”: Sebastian Vettel slams the addition of more races to the calendar

About the author

Somin Bhattacharjee

Somin Bhattacharjee

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Basketball Editor Somin Bhattacharjee first discovered the game during the 2014 FIBA World Cup. Not long after, he turned to the NBA and found himself drawn to the Golden State Warriors — right at the start of Stephen Curry’s rise. Over time, the admiration turned into full-blown support for the team, one that continues even as the Curry era approaches its twilight. A true hoophead, Somin also follows EuroLeague basketball closely and enjoys exploring the game beyond the NBA. Though holding a bachelor's degree in marketing, Somin discovered his true calling in writing. Since 2021, he has penned over 3,000 articles for TheSportsRush, covering everything from breaking news to sharp opinion pieces and detailed exclusives. He thrives on writing about in-game moments and the reactions that make basketball a uniquely emotional sport. Beyond basketball, Somin plays different sports including soccer and remains a passionate fan of Spanish football giants Real Madrid

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