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Formula One F1 – Azerbaijan Grand Prix – Baku City Circuit, Baku, Azerbaijan – June 6, 2021 Aston Martin’s Sebastian Vettel celebrates with sparkling wine and a trophy on the podium after finishing in second place Pool via REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov
Reuters
Formula One F1 – Azerbaijan Grand Prix – Baku City Circuit, Baku, Azerbaijan – June 6, 2021 Aston Martin’s Sebastian Vettel celebrates with sparkling wine and a trophy on the podium after finishing in second place Pool via REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov
After a rather dull start to the 2021 F1 season, it finally looks like the real Sebastian Vettel has come alive again since the Monaco GP, where he secured a brilliant P5.
Then followed the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, where Vettel leapfrogged his teammate, Lance Stroll into P9 on the driver’s standings after achieving his first podium for the British outfit.
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Hence, considering how the tables have turned around so drastically in the last couple of weeks, Red Bull F1 advisor, Dr. Helmut Marko, opined that Stroll’s father, Lawrence Stroll, wouldn’t be happy with the fact that Vettel is now sporting the number 1 driver tag.
What did Marko say?
Speaking to Auto Motor Und Sport, the Austrian reckoned that the podium at Baku has made Vettel stand out as a better driver than Stroll.
“He’s number one on the Stroll team, which Dad probably won’t find that good,” he said, taking a sly dig at Aston Martin’s part-owner, Lawrence.
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Formula One F1 – Azerbaijan Grand Prix – Baku City Circuit, Baku, Azerbaijan – Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll walks away form his car after crashing during qualifying REUTERS/Anton Vaganov
Lance Stroll looked consistently faster than Vettel over the initial 4 race weekends, keeping his nose ahead of the German by 5 points.
However, the fortunes turned upside down since the start of the race weekend in Monaco. Over the past two weekends, Stroll gained just 4 points as opposed to Vettel’s 28 points.
Read More: Sebastian Vettel: The Heartwarming Story Behind His Love for Engineering in F1
That was Sebastian Vettel as we know him: Marko
Marko hailed the former Red Bull driver as he showcased his true pace in Azerbaijan after a brief run of struggles. “That was Vettel as we know him. How he jumped on the podium,” the Austrian said.
“But above all his overtaking maneuvers. The fights with Gasly. The first round. I am very pleased that this change has been achieved in a relatively short period of time. I hope that is the case on other courses as well.”
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Formula One F1 – Azerbaijan Grand Prix – Baku City Circuit, Baku, Azerbaijan – June 6, 2021 Aston Martin’s Sebastian Vettel celebrates with team members after finishing in second place Pool via REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov
This could well be the start of Vettel’s resurgence to form. And the timing seems perfect, as Aston Martin is seemingly recovering quite well from the early downfall in 2021, citing the significant aero regulation changes.
Hence, can Vettel continue to deliver and push his team further up the table? Are Aston Martin capable enough to fight alongside Ferrari and McLaren for P3 on the constructor’s table?
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