Sebastian Vettel: Mercedes F1 ‘Outsmarted’ Ferrari and Red Bull

Sebastian Vettel will have a change in scenery in 2021 as he will race for the iconic team that is Aston Martin. The team makes its return to F1 after 61 years and would look to make a big splash in the new season. Despite the rebrand, the team will operate on a smaller budget compared to the top dogs in the sport. However, Vettel feels that Aston Martin need not outspend, but outsmart the teams like how Mercedes does.

The British team didn’t get off to the most auspicious of starts as they struggled in the pre-season test in Bahrain. They suffered from a bevy of reliability issues which saw them finish second last in terms of laps completed. The side-effect of this was that the German couldn’t get enough laps with his new team. They will hope that they can resolve this before the season opens in Bahrain on March 28.

Aston Martin needs to outsmart everyone like how Mercedes does according to Sebastian Vettel

In an interview, Sebastian Vettel feels that Aston Martin should be a little realistic about the goals it sets for the 2021 season. He said, “When you join Ferrari the target is to win the championship. Here that would be a bit naive in the first year. If there is a chance we will go for it, but it is not what we think at this point. “

The German understands the excitement for the team. But, he feels that they should look to ape Mercedes in how the German Constructor outsmarts everyone else on the grid.

The four-time World Champion said, “There is a lot of excitement about relaunching Aston Martin, being part of that and having the same resources as other teams in terms of money to perform on the same page. That doesn’t mean you do as well as them. If that were the case Ferrari and Red Bull should have done as well as Mercedes these past seven years, but they didn’t. Mercedes didn’t outspend them they outsmarted everyone.”

Can the German come back to his title-winning level at Aston Martin?

That would be unrealistic at this stage of his career. He, however, could look to regain whatever confidence he had lost towards the end of his stint with Ferrari. The gradual sapping of his confidence started when he crashed out of the 2018 German Grand Prix. This led to him hitting his nadir in the 2020 season.

The German would add necessary know-how to the team in terms of how to win races. He would also be a mentor of sorts to the talented Lance Stroll. So, the personal target for the German this season would be to get regular podiums. If he’s able to do that, that could increase his confidence to go for unlikely race wins. A good Vettel is great for F1 in general and let’s hope that’s the case in 2021.