Sebastian Vettel has, somewhat predictably, struggled in his early outings in the car. Yet news of the death of his career is greatly exaggerated.
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In today’s day and age, with social media usage more widespread than ever, it is easy to fall for simplistic arguments on anything – not just sport. The world of limited characters and short but sweet updates lends itself to just that. This means, of course, that there is but little space for nuance and context. As a sportsperson, you’re either a legend or a fraud. There’s no in-between. And while this makes for a good chuckle every now and again, it does lead to many a ‘hot take’ that, in reality, isn’t that hot. Such is the case with Sebastian Vettel and his run with Aston Martin thus far.
The four-time F1 world champion was expected to be the missing piece in the Aston Martin puzzle. The team formerly known as Racing Point had the money and the car; they just needed the driver. At least, so went the thought in principle.
The reality, of course, is different.
Vettel has, somewhat predictably, struggled in his early outings in the car. That has, even more predictably, led to many writing off his Aston Martin career before it has even truly begun.
Yet the circumstances around him play a role. And while even Vettel would admit he hasn’t been at his best, it is hard to tell how much of a difference a prime Seb would make to a car that looks a downgrade from the “pink Mercedes” of last year.
The 2021 regulation changes for F1 cares feature cuts to the floor, along with the diffuser and brake duct winglet size. In theory, this was done to reduce the pressure on the Pirelli tyres.
Yet Pirelli worked on making a stronger tyre, leaving Aston Martin to question the need for the change. After all, the regulation changes hit cars with a low-rake design the most.
Of the teams in F1 right now, only two run cars with a low-rake design – Mercedes and Aston Martin. Last year, Aston Martin – under their old name Racing Point – found great success at copying the Mercedes design. This year, however, both teams have struggled.
Mercedes have rebounded in recent races, something which can to a degree be credited to their superior spending ability. Aston Martin, who were fourth in last year’s constructors championship, have by contrast struggled.
As such, both Sebastian Vettel and Lance Stroll have been set back quite a bit. Vettel himself admitted that the car’s pace isn’t ideal but they are working to get the best out of what they have.
However, even that cannot take away from the fact that Vettel hasn’t quite looked at home in the car.
It says a lot that, while many in F1 were happy for Vettel to get a seat, there was some disappointment over the person who he replaced.
Sergio Perez was in the form of his life in 2020, yet there was never any chance of Lance Stroll being replaced. Being the son of the team owner has some benefits, after all. However, Stroll has been the better of the two Aston Martin drivers this season.
It’s also easy to assume that Vettel can do better in a better car. However, that would ignore Vettel’s poor form in his last two seasons at Ferrari.
That time was charecterised by a number of unforced errors as well as being outshone by his younger teammate. Although on a smaller scale, it is easy to see history repeating itself right now.
It is telling that the last of Vettel’s four world championships came in 2013. One gets the feeling that if he wants to add to that count, he will need to get the best out of the machine – and himself.
Only if he fails to do so would it be right to dub his stint at Aston Martin a failure. But not before then.
