Saturday, December 18, 2021
Aston Martin is clearly missing its targets
Vettel’s only victory is a sad consolation prize
It should be third place in the constructors’ championship. However, Sebastian Vettel’s first year at Aston Martin ends as it started: disappointing. The bolide is hardly competitive in Formula 1, and the criticism of the four-time world champion persists. Even a new price does not change that.
When Sebastian Vettel made his first official appearance as a new Aston Martin driver in early March 2021, the Heppenheimer was still confident. Yes, the team that has started under a new name is only “at the beginning”, he said, but “if we can start where we left off last year, we have every chance of being better than last year”. “Better than last year” would have meant third place in the Formula 1 constructors’ championship. But instead of looking up, the team went steeply downhill. In the end, 246.5 points (!) Lay between third-placed Scuderia Ferrari and Aston Martin. A distance that is the result of some serious misjudgments.
The first mistakes at Aston Martin were made long before the first race. Like the previous Force India team, the British also used the Mercedes think tank when planning their new car. Force India had finally landed a direct hit with its “Mercedes copy” in 2020, which is exactly what Aston Martin was hoping for. When it was first introduced, the AMR21 had some amazing parallels to the Mercedes W11.
But even during the test drives, the car revealed many large and small problems that continued to have an effect well into the season. Whether electronics or aerodynamics, there was always a worm somewhere. It quickly became clear that the “total package AMR21” would not deliver what it was promised.
Already after the fourth race of the season in Spain – the team had only five points to date – Sebastian Vettel, team boss Otmar Szafnauer and Lance Stroll practiced perseverance. “It’s no secret that we expected to be stronger this year. […] We have accepted that and are trying to continue to grow as a team, “said a visibly disillusioned Vettel in Barcelona. Looking back, nothing less than a sporting declaration of bankruptcy, especially since the season was actually lost at this early stage.
No escape from the “DRS train”
The fact that Aston Martin in the person of Sebastian Vettel was suddenly in the lead in Monaco, Azerbaijan, Hungary and Belgium came as a surprise to many, but it is easy to explain. Chaos reigned in all four races in which the four-time world champion was always in the right place at the right time. That doesn’t diminish Vettel’s performance, but it does put it into perspective. After all, the German fulfilled the hopes of those responsible in these four races and made the difference. It was precisely for this reason that he was signed. With his experience, he should not only advance the team in development, but also ensure results. He failed at this task.
In the end, Vettel rarely made the difference. Too often he got stuck in midfield after a disappointing qualifying and was stuck in one of the dreaded “DRS trains”, from which there was no escape because all the pilots in each DRS zone were allowed to open the rear wing. In 15 of 22 races he ultimately remained without points. A balance sheet that cannot be glossed over.
Especially bitter for Vettel: Even the direct duel against Lance Stroll he only just decided for himself. It is not uncommon for the Canadian to be the better of the two Aston Martin drivers for an entire weekend. The Heppenheimer should have clearly dominated the duel with the 23-year-old. Because things turned out differently, many of his critics now feel confirmed at the latest.
How many resources are left for 2022?
What remains for Sebastian Vettel and Aston Martin at the end of the 2021 season? Not much more than two consolation prizes. On the one hand, the one for the optically most beautiful car in the field. On the other hand, the newly created “Overtaking Award”, which Vettel won ahead of Fernando Alonso. A bittersweet award that only went to the German because he was stuck in traffic week after week.
The outlook for 2022 is not necessarily better. In order not to completely embarrass themselves in 2021, Aston Martin invested more resources than planned in the AMR21. The development of the new car suffered as a result. The effects of this are completely uncertain. For the new season there is a huge upheaval in Formula 1, the vehicles are a completely new development and should enable significantly better and more exciting racing. The Haas team, for example, stopped developing the current racing car at an early stage and did everything in its power to build a competitive car for the new year.
So far, Szafnauer has only said what he has to say: “Team owner Lawrence Stroll wants to make Aston Martin a winner and have a say in the long-term for the title. With the move to a completely different racing car, I consider that to be realistic goals.” Statements that are similar to Vettel’s before the 2021 season. One can only hope for the team that the boss is not so far off the mark.