Reuters
Formula One F1 – Portuguese Grand Prix – Algarve International Circuit – Portimao, Portugal – April 29, 2021 Aston Martin’s Sebastian Vettel during the press conference Pool via REUTERS/Gabriel Bouys
Reuters
Formula One F1 – Portuguese Grand Prix – Algarve International Circuit – Portimao, Portugal – April 29, 2021 Aston Martin’s Sebastian Vettel during the press conference Pool via REUTERS/Gabriel Bouys
It has not been the start that Aston Martin was hoping for over the 2021 F1 season, having secured just 5 points out of the two race weekends. And it certainly wasn’t the start Sebastian Vettel would have been looking forward to, considering his morale is already lingering at the bottom.
The lower rake angle of Aston Martin’s floor may have been the primary reason behind the team’s unexpected fallback.
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Meanwhile, McLaren, Ferrari, and AlphaTauri, with higher rake angles, are looking fiercer than ever. But can the British team return to the top of the mid-field pack over the weekend in Portugal?
Reuters
Formula One F1 – Portuguese Grand Prix – Algarve International Circuit – Portimao, Portugal – April 29, 2021 Aston Martin’s Sebastian Vettel during the press conference Pool via REUTERS/Gabriel Bouys
Well, the 4-time world champion has opened up that the Aston Martin garage is expecting some upgrades over the Portuguese Grand Prix.
Unfortunately, considering the fact that Aston Martin is a bit too far from the rivals at the moment, Vettel reckoned that it might not be a straightforward job for the team to close down such a humongous gap in a single weekend.
What did the Aston Martin driver say?
During the Portuguese Grand Prix press conference, Vettel opened up that Aston Martin could end up in a better position in a race weekend or two.
“I think we have some stuff coming. So, the car should be in a better place. And let’s see where we are in a couple of race’s time,” he said.
“But it’s certainly not the easiest because we didn’t start where we wanted, and then it’s difficult to sort of outperform the others on development. But that’s the challenge we have in front of us and the way we want to go down.”
Of course, the fact that Aston Martin carries a similar design to that of Mercedes, caused the former to suffer a substantial loss of pace amidst the recent aero changes.
Reuters
Formula One F1 – Emilia Romagna Grand Prix – Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari, Imola, Italy – April 17, 2021 Aston Martin’s Sebastian Vettel at the end of practice REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane
And of course, they aren’t alone, as Alpine, too, suffered a worse downfall. While Aston Martin is currently grasping onto P6 on the table, the French outfit is in a much lower position, having secured a measly 3 points.
Hence, can Aston Martin break out of the terrible start to their campaign with the help of upgrades in Portimao? Well, let’s see what the future holds.
Read More: What Is an F1 Rake Angle and Why Has It Affected Mercedes?
