Sebastian Vettel is aiming for a “clean weekend” in Portugal

Sebastian Vettel hopes to make further progress in understanding his Aston Martin AMR21 with a “clean” Portuguese Grand Prix.

The four-time world champion had a tough time in the first two rounds of the season – his career at Aston Martin is still pending.

Bahrain was a disaster for Vettel, thanks to a first quarter elimination and later an ugly mistake that put Esteban Ocon in the race.

Imola was then just one piece of bad luck after the other. Smoking brakes before the start would result in a 10-second stop / go penalty as Aston Martin did not have the wheels back on Vettel’s car before the five-minute warning, while a transmission problem forced Vettel to retreat a few laps before the end.

So it’s no wonder that Vettel is only asking for a clean weekend at the Algarve International Circuit in order to better understand his AMR21.

“I think Portimão is a good place to go for a clean weekend,” he said.

“The track is a high-speed autodrome. very smooth and with a lot of slope. It’s fun to drive and I think it will be a good place to get a better handle on the AMR21’s limits.

“I know I don’t have to get the most out of the car just yet – but the fact that we understand that is another good reason to keep pushing.”

Rollout for Portimao.

Welcome to race week! pic.twitter.com/Pjaa4i2NnA

– Aston Martin Cognizant F1 Team (@ AstonMartinF1) April 26, 2021

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Vettel was a Ferrari driver when Formula 1 was on this track for the first time in 2020 and scored a single point.

Lance Stroll was the only driver who didn’t finish this race on an afternoon where he received a five-second penalty for colliding with Lando Norris. This time around, the Canadian is looking for a stronger performance after scoring points in the first two rounds of 2021.

“We are traveling to Portugal and we are confident that we are making progress in unlocking the full potential of the AMR21,” he said.

“There’s an exciting fight in midfield and our aim is to stay at the top. Another clean weekend and the prospect of more points will ensure we maintain our momentum.”

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