Despite a lackluster tenure in 2021 and 2022, marked by consecutive seventh-place finishes in the constructors’ championship, Aston Martin bounced back brilliantly in 2023. According to AMR team bosses, Sebastian Vettel had a major share of impact at the team during the 2022 season that was critical for the Silverstone team’s comeback.
Vettel only got one podium for Aston Martin in his tenure. Besides this, his stint had one top-5 finish and scattered point finishes in the 40-odd races across 2 years. Despite facing adversity during his time with the team, Vettel’s influence proved instrumental in strengthening the team against potential future challenges.
This played a role in benefiting his successor, Fernando Alonso, who leveraged Vettel’s contributions, resulting in the team scoring five times more points than last year. Notably, the team also witnessed an increase in the number of podiums secured, which was eye-catching for many.
About this, Aston Martin team principal Mike Krack has showered praise on the four-time champion. According to RaceFans.net, Krack said, “It was not only the input in the car but also the input in working methods, in the way we do things”.
Apart from Krack, the performance director of the team analyzed Vettel’s attempts to use his racing background with Red Bull and Ferrari.
The German driver was attempting to apply his previous experience and insights to improve Aston Martin’s performance. Expanding on the matter Tom McCullough said, “When he joined us, he’d come from two championship-winning teams. At that time he brought a lot of small details.”
What does Sebastian Vettel think of Aston Martin’s resurgence?
Aston Martin’s significant strides during the 2022 winter break translated into immediate success, with Fernando Alonso securing podiums in the AMR23. Considering this Sebastian Vettel, in a Sky Sports interview, expressed a natural contemplation about making a comeback to compete for the Silverstone-based team.
Following his retirement from F1 last year when the team secured a P7 finish, Vettel found the team’s resurgence intriguing. The 36-year-old said, “Naturally the thought has crossed my mind ‘this would have been the car I raced in if I continued’.
However, putting aside all his emotions, Vettel later added that seeing his former rival in a car that can contend for points brings him joy. Reflecting on this, he added, “I’m happy for him [Alonso]. He’s been around for a long time. Plus I’m excited for them [Team] because they have a more competitive car and it’s always more exciting when you challenge for big points and podiums.”
Nevertheless, Vettel said in his closing remarks that he is still in the process of figuring out what to do next, stressing that he hasn’t made a choice yet. The German legend said, “The bottom line is I thought so much about my decision and what I want to do next, even though I don’t know exactly what I will do next. I’m still figuring that out. ”
