Aston Martin was hit hard by F1’s aero rules tweaks for 2021 and struggled to keep up with their midfield rivals throughout the season.
The former Racing Point team scored big points in Monaco and Baku, where Vettel took his first podium for the Silverstone team and was just one point behind AlphaTauri in fifth after the British Grand Prix in July.
In the constructors’ championship, it has since slipped to seventh place after being clearly surpassed by both Alpine and AlphaTauri in the second half of the season, with Vettel citing his problems as the cause due to excessive air resistance and a lack of downforce.
“We had races where the race felt really good, we had other races where I fought a lot,” explained Vettel.
“Overall, how competitive you are is important. In terms of competition, I think our car is a little too sluggish.
“We don’t have a super efficient car and we don’t have enough downforce either. That’s the biggest weakness in my opinion.
“From then on, it’s difficult to overcome.”
The four-time world champion says he and teammate Lance Stroll have tried hard to overcome Aston Martin’s weaknesses by intelligently handling tire wear, which opens up strategic options. Last time in Qatar, Stroll finished sixth on a one-stop strategy.
Sebastian Vettel, Aston Martin
Photo by: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Images
“Some tracks have helped, we have overcome others, perhaps by finding a good set-up, working well on the tires and finding a good strategy,” added Vettel.
“Overall, I think if the car is in the window we can do a decent job and get into the points. Firstly, it’s not always easy to get it into that window, and secondly, it’s in the area where we’re racing drive, extremely competitive.
“It seems like halfway through the season other teams may have made a little more progress than we are now.”
The 2022 season may not be enough for Aston Martin as it hopes to capitalize on a fresh start that the rules overhaul offers to make a fresh start.
In the meantime, it has recruited rival employees for several key technical positions to strengthen the team over the long term. Team owner Lawrence Stroll has set himself the goal of fighting for world titles within five years.
PLUS: Why Stroll believes its “reduced risk” Aston master plan is feasible
Vettel says that while 2022 is still unknown, the team’s growth at the factory cannot be ignored.
“Of course the big unknown for next year is what happens next year with the change of cars and so on, but we won’t be able to answer that question until next year,” he said.
“But overall, the team I find is strong. In terms of technology and in terms of the track, it’s strong. I think it’s growing fast and there are a lot of plans and good things coming.”
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