“That I think is the main weakness” – Sebastian Vettel speaks out on Aston Martin’s underwhelming debut season, and their aim for 2022.
Aston Martin, a British automobile icon, no less, entered the sport this season with huge hopes. It wanted to magnify the good work of its predecessors Force India and Racing Point, and win podiums on a consistent basis.
With just two races to go, they have been on the podium just twice, both times Sebastian Vettel. The first one was stripped off by the FIA for low-fuel-related issues.
As such, he feels the car has let the team down, especially when it came to its downforce capability. This, all in all, means they should finish the season in lowly P7, ahead only of Alfa Romeo, Williams, and Haas.
“We had races where the car felt really good, we had other races where I struggled a lot. Overall, what matters is how competitive you are.
“In competitive terms, I think our car is a bit too draggy. We are not having a super-efficient car, plus we don’t have enough downforce. That I think is the main weakness.
“From there, it’s difficult to overcome that.”
Vettel hopeful of a stronger 2022 campaign
With major regulations ushering in next season expected to facilitate closer racing, the four-time champion is optimistic of a much stronger performance, especially with the team aiming for a world title this decade.
“Obviously, the big unknown is for next year, what’s happening next year with the cars changing and so on, but we will only be able to answer that question next year.
“But overall, the team I find is strong. In terms of engineering and in terms of trackside, it’s strong. I think it’s growing at pace and lots of plans and good things are coming.”
