Sebastian Vettel Won’t Be Number 1 at Aston Martin: “That’s Why I’m Not Worried About It”

Aston Martin F1 finally launched its much-awaited car alongside drivers, Sebastian Vettel and Lance Stroll. There is an air of curiosity about how the team will perform in 2021, especially now with the four-time F1 champion’s arrival.

Naturally, for his reputation and standing in the sport, one would consider him as the lead driver for Aston Martin. But Vettel has revealed that attaining the ‘number 1 driver’ status does not hold any importance for him and believes that that is a thing of the past.

Prerequisite is that we both have the same chances, said Sebastian Vettel

Speaking in an interview with RTL, and as quoted by Motorsport-Total, Vettel stated, “To be honest, the number 1 status is not important to me.”

“As long as I am convinced that we have the same chances, no matter which side of the box – that has always been my approach – then that’s all I need in that regard.”

(Translated via Google Translate)

Back in the 2020 season, Vettel’s predecessor Sergio Perez had reportedly hinted that he did not receive upgrades for a few races on his machinery owing to ‘obvious reasons’. The 33-year-old German, though, is not worried about the prospect of that happening for 2021 and beyond.

“The prerequisite is that we both have the same chances. That’s what I assume and that’s why I’m not worried about it,” concluded Vettel.

Vettel would want to do his talking on the track

Despite his comments, the German will still look to be a leadership figure on the field for his new team. Considering his wealth of experience and winning mentality, Vettel will certainly want to live up to that billing.

The straightforward way of doing that is consistently achieving good results for the team. In the background, Aston Martin will expect him to contribute his racing expertise to improve its car.

Following a miserable last season with Ferrari, Vettel would hence prefer to let his race craft do the talking in 2021. In doing so, he will look to guide a team that also has great ambitions for the short-term future.

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