Sebastian Vettel is expected to get just a day and a half behind the wheel of his new Aston Martin race in trials before the start of the 2021 season. But the four-time champion does not expect a lack of running to be an issue as he prepares for the version from Ferrari.
Vettel was signed to Racing Point – which this year joins Aston Martin Cognizant ‘s F1 team – in September last year, after his contract with Ferrari was not renewed beyond the end of 2020.
And while the team announced that they would unveil the logo of Vettel’s Aston Martin opponent and teammate Lance Stroll in March – the car is going to be a sleek evolution of the 2020 Racing Point RP20 – Vettel is expected to be limited on the running stage. time he gets with his new squad, with trials in 2021 limited to just three days with one car.
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“From what I’ve heard, right now there will be one pre-season test and that will be my first time in the new car,” said Vettel, who will be starting his 14th full season in Formula. 1 in 2021.
“[Am I] worried? No. If that happens that is it. Over the years, I think you’ll get used to very little track time and make the most of track time, so even if a day and a half doesn’t feel like a lot, you still get you a good run.
“I think it’s the same for all of us and you can do a lot of stuff beforehand today. I believe the key is the preparation that goes into the test and then leads to the first race. ”
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Carlos Sainz was the driver who signed Ferrari instead of Vettel at the team. And while it has been confirmed by Ferrari that they will be running the Spaniard in an old car before pre – season tests – as allowed by the Sports Rules – that is not a luxury that Aston Martin can extend to Vettel.
“We can’t … we can’t run a two-year car,” said Team Principal Otmar Szafnauer. “[But] we do everything we can with Seb to get him integrated into the team, do a lot of sim work with him as well, and then use the three days of testing that we have as much as we can to edit it. for the first race. ”