In a sport where your teammate is your greatest competition, it would be exciting to be compared to a four-time world champion. But is it what it seems? Aston Martin F1 boss Otmar Szafnauer compared his drivers Lance Stroll and Sebastian Vettel and kept them at eye level.
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When the traffic light in the pit lane turns green on Saturday, Sebastian Vettel normally qualifies for his teammate. Vettel celebrated his debut season with Aston Martin this year and was also on the podium twice. Szafnauer made an interesting observation about his drivers, however.
Formula 1 F1 – Russian Grand Prix – Sochi Autodrom, Sochi, Russia – September 26, 2021. Aston Martins Sebastian Vettel in action with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc during the REUTERS / Anton Vaganov race.
“It’s a little bit the circumstances. Lance and Seb are pretty much on par when it comes to performance. ”Although the German hit a small speed bump in the middle of the season, the Seb we know and love has returned to the spotlight. Otmar had added: “Lately it seemed to be more in the direction of Seb.”
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Lance Stroll and the championship’s race results can differ significantly as Szafnauer reflected that the tide is often directed against the Canadian. However, when it comes to speed, there is almost nothing that sets it apart. “But when I look at the lap times in the race when I’m free, they are pretty close.”
A deeper look into the Aston Martin drivers
Sebastian Vettel could lead the battle for Aston Martin, with Stroll often getting into trouble despite good moments on the track. Szafnauer connects Vettel’s rise to the fact that he feels more comfortable in the team.
“Maybe the circumstances are because he feels more comfortable in the team and has the experience you have as a four-time world champion.” Vettel, who is 12th on the drivers list, is 13th ahead of his teammate.
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Formula 1 F1 – Mexican Grand Prix – Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, Mexico City, Mexico – November 6, 2021. Aston Martins Lance Stroll after falling during the qualifying pool via REUTERS / Edgard Garrido.
To illustrate, the Brazilian GP is the perfect example. Vettel leads the field and fights hard for points on and outside of P10. Although Lando Norris walked away with the point, Vettel claimed it could have been different. “The Virtual Safety Cars didn’t help us and cost me a job at Esteban [Ocon]. Without that it would have been a different race. “
Stroll, however, ended his race prematurely with a DNF; like in Mexico. After colliding with Yuki Tsunoda at the beginning of the race, his Aston Martin eventually gave up to retreat to the garage.
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However, since Otmar is convinced of the pace of his drivers, the last three races should be a good opportunity to end the season with more points in the bag.
Check out this story: Biggest crashes from 2020 with Leclerc, Vettel & Grosjean
The post Aston Martin F1 boss reveals revealing similarities between Sebastian Vettel and Lance Stroll first appeared on monter-une-startup.
