Sebastian Vettel is doubtful that the Aston Martin F1 team would be able to achieve its ambitions with his former rival Fernando Alonso.
Aston Martin announced the 2-time world champion, Fernando Alonso, for its 2023 lineup after his former rival Sebastian Vettel announced retirement at the end of the 2022 season.
After signing the Spaniard the British team said that it was confident that its team would be able to race for wins with Alonso. However, Vettel doubts that it would be possible.
Having worked with the Silverstone-based team for two years, Vettel understands how the team operates and what they lack.
The fans at Suzuka ❤️ Sebastian Vettel#F1 #JapaneseGP #AstonMartin #Motorsport pic.twitter.com/3RH8ddJ98V
— Motorsport.com (@Motorsport) October 6, 2022
The 4-time world champion explained that the technical regulations introduced in the 2022 season presented the team with an opportunity to build a car that would rise through the paddock.
But the team missed that prospect and its consequences would be felt for a long time.
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What are the problems with Aston Martin?
While some teams were able to produce a competitive car for the 2022 season, Aston Martin failed catastrophically. Vettel believes that it would take a lot of time for the team to fix its damages.
Sebastian Vettel punching the air joyfully as he completes an unbelievable lap, putting an Aston Martin into Q3, just because he loves this track so much and has given his all for that last satisfying moment at Suzuka: top 1 best moments of 2022 ♡ https://t.co/K9AP1Ev6Yu
— The Vettels 🇧🇷 (@TVettels) October 8, 2022
At the beginning of the season, the Silverstone-based team started off the season facing heavy porpoising issues. Following this, the team increased the ride height for the safety of the drivers and to prevent the floor from damaging.
But in doing so, the car brought up even more problems for the team as the drivers complained about the balance and grip of the car. The team has struggled to even take its car to Q1 on the qualifying days.
What does Sebastian Vettel think about the team’s future?
Vettel explained that the situation would more and less remain the same in the coming season despite Alonso joining the team.
With the current regulations sticking till 2026, the teams which had a good start would always have the advantage over the teams which had a bad start.
On top of that, the budget cap does not allow teams to invest money to get resources which would help them in making the car better.
Moreover, the German driver said that he has no advice for his former rival as the Spaniard himself has had an illustrious career in the sport.
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