Otmar Szafnauer is an F1 veteran, having been associated with the sport since 1998. He’s worked with a host of world-class F1 drivers and world champions. So, in his latest appearance on the High-Performance podcast, he was asked to rank the “best driver” among the ones he’s worked with. Szafnauer had only one name on his mind — Sebastian Vettel.
The Romanian sang Vettel’s praises and even substantiated his statement with examples and gave a detailed “why”. He said, “There’s so many of them and for so many different reasons. Best total Sebastian Vettel. The thing I like most about Seb is his relentless work ethic. He does have that and maybe that competitiveness that fire in his belly.”
When asked for an example, he revealed how the German wanted to know from his engineers the part of the track with the most grip before a restart. He was never in a leading position during his time at Aston Martin with Szafnauer. However, he always wanted to know and that was his level of hunger and preparation.
AUTO MOTOR UND SPORT – When asked on the High Performance Podcast, who was the best driver he has worked with during his long time in F1, Otmar Szafnauer throws Sebastian Vettel’s name into the ring. “What I appreciate most about him is his unwavering work ethic,” he said.
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— Junaid #JB17 (@JunaidSamodien_) October 8, 2024
So, despite Aston Martin not possessing the tools to support Vettel‘s talent, he gave it his all till his last day in the sport. The sudden end to his career caught everyone off-guard, including his team.
That’s something the former Aston Martin boss still regrets. However, this way at least he got to work with a legend of the sport and that’s exactly how he was regarded in the team.
Vettel was highly regarded at Aston Martin
The German was the first world champion on the team since Lawrence Stroll’s acquisition. He was brought in at a time when the British team was rebuilding to be a top team in F1. Vettel had the responsibility of improving the team and that’s exactly what the four-time champion did. His valuable inputs put them at the front setting his successor up for an F1 resurgence.
His successor, Fernando Alonso enjoyed success immediately. The Spaniard started an incredible podium run marking Aston Martin’s jump in 2023 as one of the biggest in modern F1 history.
Alonso and Co. could not secure a win all season. However, the goal is exactly that and much more. This is why Vettel was brought in and this is exactly why he was replaced by Alonso.
The two world champions were tasked with attracting success to the team. So far, a part of the job is done. However, after the hiring of Adrian Newey, Aston Martin will surely aim to complete the task and win the F1 world championship.
