Aston Martin delivered quite a spectacle when they unveiled the car that Sebastian Vettel and Lance Stroll will be driving after 61 years for the legendary British automaker’s sensational return to F1. Here are our five takeaways from their star-studded introduction …
1. We have a taste of what’s to come
Expectations for the Aston Martin start on Wednesday were high. Owner Lawrence Stroll was known for not doing things by halves and boy, he and his team delivered the goods with a virtual extravaganza that had the feel of old F1 starts.
READ MORE: QUICK RESPONSE: Why Aston Martin’s AMR21 looks like the most advanced car to date in 2021
James Bond actress Gemma Arterton chaired the event at the automaker’s Gaydon headquarters, with James Bond himself Daniel Craig and NFL legend Tom Brady also stopping by.
The presentation was super slick, the intro video played the history of Aston Martin in motorsport, and the Union Jack draped over the AMR21 to keep it under wraps showed the company’s roots.
This was a real event that Red Bull would have delivered when they first appeared in F1 in the mid-2000s. Aston Martin and Stroll want to do things their way. This introduction was just a taste of what’s to come in the future.
The best parts from Aston Martin’s 2021 launch
2. Top boss Stroll took center stage
Lawrence Stroll is the Aston Martin F1 team in many ways which is why he effectively hosted his event. The billionaire businessman has invested heavily in this company and the British carmaker’s brand – and he expects success.
Judging by the confidence he exuded on launch day, the Silverstone-based team, founded as a small operation by the charismatic Eddie Jordan, has exhilarating days ahead of them.
Stroll doesn’t hold back with his expectations. He wants world championships in three to five years. This year he wants P3 among the designers. Everything else is disappointing, he says.
READ MORE: Aston Martin is back: See first pictures of Vettel and Stroll’s 2021 2021 F1 car
Obviously he’s a tough master – but by setting high goals, he hopes to inspire his employees to take on the juggernauts Mercedes, Red Bull and Ferrari – and make his operation part of the top flight.
Lawrence Stroll “very emotional” after “monumental” Aston Martin start Martin
3. The AMR21 definitely looks fast
Aston Martin’s green with a touch of pink paintwork is eye-catching, but underneath is a car that the team thinks will help them meet their minimum goal of third place in the Constructors’ Championship.
Technical chief Andrew Green said they used their two development tokens to change the chassis, with the team also taking the opportunity to drive the rear of Mercedes 2020 – as is acceptable under the rules.
During their shakedown on Thursday and then during the test in Bahrain, it becomes even more clear, but there are some interesting design additions – such as the bulge in the engine cover, which is modeled on that of the Mercedes W12. It is clear that the development of the aero surfaces, which the regulations allow for changes, has been pushed to the absolute limit with their new machine.
If they understand their car quickly and run it well, this could be a team that makes a statement this season.
READ MORE: Why Aston Martin’s AMR21 looks like the most advanced car to date in 2021
4. Vettel can hardly wait to get in
Sebastian Vettel looked like a reborn driver as he faced the media before the team started. There was a twinkle in the German’s eyes and a definite excitement about driving the car at Silverstone to see what he can play with this year.
He was publicly holding back his expectations as he always has, but you feel – if you listen to him – that this was the right move for him from what he’s seen so far. And while he’s openly admitted that he doesn’t care what his critics say, he’ll want to prove internally that he still has what it takes to be on the right track.
Since Aston has set itself the goal of three to five years to win the title, this has to be a medium-term project for Vettel if he wants to achieve more success in sport. If the team delivers this year and Vettel continues to have as much fun with the project as it has since it started on January 1st, he sees no reason why he shouldn’t be there for a while.
READ MORE: Vettel nibbles on the bit to get behind the wheel of the AMR21 during the shakedown at Silverstone
Sebastian Vettel inspired by “great spirit and determination” at Aston Martin
5. The walk sets its goals high
Lance Stroll was in a great mood for his family on a big day. He acknowledges his father’s success in the past, so he can hope that he can achieve success with his team on the right track.
“How he brought this project together with Aston Martin and how it changed the team is amazing,” said Stroll. “He just has an incredible vision, and he has had it since day 1 and as an example we have grown from a team that qualified 17th and 18th in Hungary in 2019 to a team that qualified third in 2020 and Has qualified fourth.
“We improved by 3.1 seconds, I believe in the lap time, but put that into perspective, and that’s because of the incredible work my father did, the incredibly talented people at the factory and everyone on this team who To give tools. They did that. ” a good job beating above her weight for years, now we can really move forward and exciting times are ahead so hats off to Lawrence, it’s amazing. “
READ MORE: Stroll is setting the goal of P3 in the constructors for Aston Martin’s first year in Formula 1
Stroll was punchy as he envisioned fifth place in the drivers’ standings, but to get there he’ll need to improve his consistency. He peaked a few times last year, for example in Turkey when he took pole and led for a large part of the race. So he feels that he has what it takes to not only win races, but also to win world championships with the right machine. If he is to have this option in the future, he has to start delivering every week.
Lance Stroll: Everyone’s buzzing after the Aston Martin AMR21 takes off
The post The return of an icon and high ambitions – 5 lessons learned from Aston Martin’s star-studded market launch in 2021 first appeared on monter-une-startup.
