The British marque are up and running as an F1 constructor for the first time in six decades after new star signing Sebastian Vettel and team-mate Lance Stroll drive the Aston Martin AMR21 for the first time
Sebastian Vettel’s career at Aston Martin formally begun on track after the four-time world champion completed his first laps for the team at Silverstone.
On a filming day with their AMR21 car after Wednesday’s glitzy launch event, Vettel shared driving duties with Lance Stroll as the newly-rebranded team completed the 100km-limited test amid mixed track conditions.
In addition to his first outing for his first new team in six years, it was also a debut experience for the German with a Mercedes F1 engine.
The majority of Vettel’s 14-year career, which has included four world championships and 53 race wins, has been spent in cars running Ferrari or Renault power.
Mercedes has generally been the sport’s benchmark power unit since the hybrid-turbo engine era started in 2014.
Vettel arrives at the former Racing Point team on the back of a disappointing end to his six-year Ferrari career, when he endured the worst full-season of his career in 2020 and finished 13th in the Drivers’ Championship.
But his new team boss is confident the 33-year-old will prove a big asset for the team as they build towards challenging for F1’s top honours in future seasons.
“Bringing someone in like Seb with the experience that he has, he knows how to win races, he knows how to win world championships,” said Otmar Szafnauer to Sky Sports.
“He’s still a young man and he hasn’t forgotten how to drive a Formula 1 car fast.
“He’s got a great work ethic. We and he leave no stone unturned looking for performance so I think with all those qualities it’s exactly what this team needed.”
