REVEALED: Aston Martin’s Accidental ‘Fuel Burn’ Gaffe That Caused Vettel’s Disqualification

Aston Martin’s fuel issue in Hungary is far from forgotten. Sebastian Vettel raced remarkably well; standing second on the podium. His celebrations were cut short, however, as the FIA soon disqualified him from the race. The insufficient fuel in Aston Martin went against the FIA technical regulations. Now, new revelations are being made.

A liter of fuel should have remained in the tank for the fuel sample. Ironically, Aston Martin’s problems started with too much fuel in the tank. Consequentially, it increased the weight of the car. Team manager Andy Stevenson explained, “Because of the rain, the race was slower than we thought at the beginning. But once you have decided on the amount of petrol, you can’t change anything when you restart.”

During the race, the team instructed Vettel to switch to a “fuel burn mode.” They did this in an attempt to get rid of the extra fuel. To the team’s horror, they would regret the decision later.

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The problem with the vaporizing only added to the team’s woes. The fuel evaporated because of a problem in the fuel tank and feed pump. It was because of this that Vettel parked his car early as he ran to parc ferme. The saddening fact is that Aston Martin only realized the totality of their problems after the race; the analysis was a bit too late for the team.

Heavy loss for Aston Martin

In the battle with Alpha Tauri and Alpine, the disqualification was a heavy weight to bear for the green team. While Alpha Tauri had an average weekend in Hungary, Alpine took the show. Esteban Ocon’s victory and Fernando Alonso’s points pushed the team to fifth in the constructor’s championship. Aston Martin is seventh, behind Alpha Tauri.

It’s going to be a tough battle for the team. Lance Stroll starts the race in Spa with a grid penalty; this is because of his collision with Leclerc in Hungary. The team also thrives on the chaos of the top teams. Imola, Baku, and Hungary showed that Aston Martin makes the best of the situation.

Nonetheless, they can’t rely on other’s bad luck. Stevenson said, “We cannot assume that there will be another chaos race and then we will score high. The shot can also backfire. The key is to score regularly. And to be regularly ahead of Alpine and Aston Martin.”

With high-speed circuits coming up in Spa and Monza, the team is worried about the battle with their rivals. Will the team make up for points without a disaster on the track?

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