Aston Martin find Vettel’s driving style “a lot less extreme” than Perez’s

2021 F1 season

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Aston Martin technical director Andrew Green is certain the team can get the best out of Sebastian Vettel, who has joined them following a difficult 2020 season at Ferrari.

Vettel has replaced Sergio Perez in their line-up. The team, previously known as Racing Point, cut Perez’s contract short by two years to sign Vettel, after Ferrari announced they would not retain him for the 2021 F1 season.

Green said Vettel “is fitting in really well” at Aston Martin. “I think he’s gelling with his crew and with the team.

“He’s obviously a very likeable chap but he’s also incredibly knowledgeable and meticulous about the way he works. And that’s exactly why we wanted him involved.

“We’re starting to see how we can adapt to his way of working. It is different to the way we worked before. But that’s the exact reason why we got him in, is to impart some of his knowledge and wisdom on us a four-times world champion. It’s exactly what we need.”

The four-times world champion will drive the new AMR21, which was launched today, at Silverstone tomorrow. Green said the team has already discovered Vettel’s handling preferences are quite different to Perez’s.

“He does have his own personal driving style, but that’s no different to the driving styles that we’ve seen from other drivers,” said Green.

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“I’d say not as extreme as the driver he’s replacing who had a very extreme driving style that was very difficult to get right at all tracks. It shone at certain tracks and didn’t at others.

Aston Martin AMR21, 2021
First pictures: Aston Martin reveals its first F1 car for over 60 years
“Seb’s style is a lot less extreme and we have the tools and capability to tune the car to suit him, for sure. We’ve already started working on that, we’ve been working on that for the last month in the simulator and he seems very happy with the direction that we’ve taken. So no problems there.”

Vettel appeared despondent at times during his sub-par 2020 campaign, when team mate Charles Leclerc scored almost three times as many points as him. However Green is confident they can help their new driver get back to his best.

“We haven’t really got into where his head was at previously,” said Green. “We’re a team looking forward.

“All I can say is he appears incredibly relaxed and he has integrated into the team very quickly. His contributions started immediately.

“So I think we’re going to get the best out of Seb, I really do. He’s at the top of his career, he’s there. If we can’t extract the best out of Seb then it’s our fault, not his.”

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40 comments on “Aston Martin find Vettel’s driving style “a lot less extreme” than Perez’s”

  1. Good luck to him this year, he hasn’t historically been my favourite on track but it would be nice to see him rebuild a new competitive edge with a team thats gels better with his style.

    Also, I do wish that someone hadn’t pointed out the ‘watermelon shoulders’ to me on the AM overalls. I cannot unsee them now.

    1. @theydidtheirbest I had to double-check the top image, and yes, the watermelon reference is evident, LOL.

    2. No! Why did you have to mention that. I really started to like their outfits, but from now on…

      Good luck Seb though!

    3. Sure looks like it hahaha

  2. such an unnecessary and frankly nasty comment for Sergio. Poor show once again from team Stroll (or whatever they are called now as Kimi said)

    1. I don’t think they are saying anything bad about Sergio. His extreme style is how he can keep his tires in top shape for so long. Vettel like everyone on the grid can’t do that, he has a more in the middle style that tends to yield in similar more expected results.

      1. I’m sorry, but if there are two drivers that can keep up with Perez on that regard, they are Vettel and Hamilton.

        I did not see anything nasty about the comment. It actually got me thinking what could be extreme on his driving, apart from his defensive moves. Given he is being compared to Vettel, maybe it is about the way he tackles turns? Seb is smooth approaching them, then I’d have to guess Sergio is more like Lewis on that regard, which poses a massive difference on driving style.

        1. @niefer Vettel can’t keep up with anyone any more.

        2. By extreme, they mean as stated that Perez is not consistent and highly variable depending on the track or conditions. That seems pretty accurate given Perez results that are a bit up and down. Being pretty invisible at some races and managing a podium at others. It didn’t feel like Perez and Stroll really maximized the potential of the RP last year.

          Not sure if Vettel will but that is something interesting to look for 2021, I think pace wise he might well be challenging …Perez.

    2. How is that nasty? Senna had an extreme driving style, worked for him

    3. pastaman (@)
      3rd March 2021, 20:15

      Leave it to the internet to perceive an insult where there isn’t one. It was a totally objective statement with no malice. You must be fun at parties

    4. Alfredo Bringas
      3rd March 2021, 21:10

      Yes, they should be thankful with Sergio since he gave them the only Win Race they will get in their existence

    5. the driver he’s replacing

      such an impersonal way of saying that

      1. @paeschli yeah, I can’t find an insult in saying that Pérez has an extreme style, but saying “the driver he’s replacing” isn’t probably the most elegant way of referring to him.

      2. @paeschli, That’s it – I imagine they would have used his name – y’know like a normal human being – if he wasn’t driving this year and is actually the immediate target in front of Aston Martin. No doubt @pastaman that it’s both a backhanded insult for Perez and a little cuddle for the driver replacing him (who needs it).

  3. Is it just me who thought that it was a little off to refer to Perez as ‘the driver he is replacing’? The guy saved the team and won a race for them; at least bother to say his name.

    On a separate note – I’m rather expecting Stroll to have the upper hand over Vettel and am interested to see how that’ll be spun – Stroll being really good, or Vettel really bad?

    1. Stroll has never shown that he is a good driver. I personally don’t have the intense hatred of him that a lot of F1 fans seem to have and I don’t think that he is without talent. However that talent only seems to show at a handful of races a year.

      So if Stroll wins – it will be because Vettel is bad.

      Either way, I think this is the most interesting intra-team battle on the grid this year. Almost-a-Merc driven by a champ on his way down… Will he spring a surprise or fall to an embarassing defeat?

      1. No I agree it’ll be because Vettel is bad – that is my own personal feeling – but what I mean is I’ll be interested to see how fans/media/the team deal with that fact…

      2. As in, I for one won’t suddenly think Stroll is great if he beats Vettel (which I think he will)

  4. What a shame that “Perez’s previous team” won’t refer to him by name. Ungrateful bunch, it was Perez’s money and driving that saved them.

  5. This headlined comment makes me more excited about Perez at Red Bull than Vettel at Aston Martin. I feel an extreme driving style is exactly what’s needed to get the most out of that Red Bull. Will be interesting to see if this is true or Verstappen has a more nuanced touch than I believe.

    1. My thoughts exactly. The RBR seems like it needs that sort of driving style, it will be interesting to see how Perez comes to terms with the RB16b with that in mind.

      1. I think it comes down to what is meant by extreme and it still remains to be seen what his driving style will mean for him depending on how the RBR car feels for him. I think it could go either way or down the middle, just depends on if his ‘extreme’ driving style makes him comfortable with RBR’s offering, or uncomfortable, or something in the middle.

        I go back to the cool video someone referenced a month or so ago analyzing a real strength of Max, which is his ability to adapt quickly, sector by sector, lap by lap, to whatever changing feel the car presents as tires wear, change temperature, fuel lowers, traffic or not, etc etc. So in that sense I think in terms of what ‘extremeness’ a driver’s style carries, needs to be flexible anyway, at least in order to maximize performance as best as possible for as much of the time as possible.

    2. F1oSaurus (@)
      4th March 2021, 7:44

      @skipgamer “Extreme” as in “difficult to get right at all tracks”. So Perez is already on the back foot since he will not be able to work on those tracks where his driving style doesn’t work. And apparently he’s been unable to work with his driving style to adapt to the situation. Which was exactly the issue they had with the previous two drivers.

      1. Don’t you think that’s weird to say when he is one of the most consistent drivers on the grid? It would be nice to know more about what is that makes his driving “extreme” we’ll see

  6. Wow they really seem to have hit it off, but then I expected as much. I bet Vettel is reveling in it all.

    But very interesting comment about Perez extreme setup / style. I would love to know more about it. At least it would explain how he’s brilliant at some races and not so much on others. What if luck would have it that this matches the Red Bull idiosyncrasy?

    1. @balue Yeah well said. I too think SV is ultra stoked, and I’m sure SP is too, for he will be in the best car he has ever had. See also my comment a bit above about drivers’ adaptability, even sector by sector. And of course let’s give both drivers some time to gel with their respective teams and cars, and they to them. Just as DR has spoken of at Mac, and how it will be for CSjr at Ferrari. Going to be a blast to watch.

      1. My thoughts exactly… red bull have always been a – hot headed – team, but its worked well for them. Perhaps, and let’s all hope, that SPs style fits in well with Max and RBR… Can’t wait to see how everything plays out.

  7. He’s at the top of his career, he’s there.

    I mean, I like Seb – and I truly hope he can find some form this year – but that’s a bit of a stretch of a statement…

  8. Feels like Villeneuve going to BAR.

    1. Ha… Or Hill to Arrows.

      1. Or Schumacher II going to Mercedes.

        The list of unfathomable-sunset-of-their-career moves by world champions is getting longer!

      2. There’s the Irvine to Jaguar similarity about it with the ex-Ferrari driver going to new team with British racing green. Irvine a driver that deserved more credit than he received. I’d put him ahead of a Coulthard for example.

        Both BAR and Jaguar had somewhat lofty and outright delusional expectations.

        Aston Martin will talk a big game but deep down they know they are just a customer team.

    2. I’m just happy Vettel gets to choose when he retires

  9. F1oSaurus (@)
    4th March 2021, 7:41

    I’d say not as extreme as the driver he’s replacing who had a very extreme driving style that was very difficult to get right at all tracks. It shone at certain tracks and didn’t at others.

    I always wondered why Perez was so prone to differences in performances. With some tracks where he would usually perform decently and some luck with a tire gamble could even see him get a good result. Yet on other tracks he was just always “off”.

  10. Green said Vettel “is fitting in really well” at Aston Martin. “I think he’s gelling with his crew and with the team.

    Gelling? can someone tell me what that means?

    1. “Gelling” means people working well together.

      1. Thank you i never heared someone saying that before we keep learning on my age!

    2. @macleod think of it as gel-ling as hair gel to stick all hairs together. Often picture helps to remember long term…

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