Vettel “overjoyed” with “unexpected” 1st F1 podium for Aston Martin | F1

Vettel enjoyed an impressive first stint in Baku trying to improve the rankings, stopping at least seven laps later than his main rivals.

He came back seventh on lap 17 and quickly joined Charles Leclerc.

The German overtook Leclerc and Gasly in quick succession after the safety car caused by Lance Stroll’s puncture on lap 31.

The four-time champion improved by two positions thanks to Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, securing his first podium for Aston Martin.

“That means a lot, of course,” said Vettel after the race. “It was a tough start for us, but it was a great race, we had good pace and that was the key. I got off to a good start, got positions straight away, watched my tires and as soon as everyone pitted I had really good pace to overtake, at least I think Yuki.

“And then the restart went really well for me, taking two places there. Let’s face it, we obviously had fresher tires that helped warm up and switch on, so a great day and I’m over the moon.

“It’s a great podium and we weren’t expecting that when we got here, but even on Friday, even though we weren’t anywhere, I felt pretty relaxed. We didn’t quite understand it yesterday, but we did today. “

On the subject of matching items

Vettel reiterated that good tire management was the key to his appearance on the podium.

“Strategically, of course, it’s always better to start further up front, but the fresh tire certainly didn’t hurt because other people had done a few laps on their tires in qualifying, so it helped us to drive longer, but we did really preserved. “The tires are good, and I think that was the secret for us,” added Vettel. “As I said, the car felt good in the race and that was the key to getting ahead and moving forward.”