F1 News

Difficult first week doesn't faze Vettel: 'Amassed a lot of data'

26 February 2022 at 15:21
Last update 26 February 2022 at 23:02
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  • GPblog.com

It seemed a mediocre first test week for Aston Martin and Sebastian Vettel . The German, however, looks back on the first three test days in Barcelona positively. A lot of data has been gathered.

Slow start for Aston Martin

The first three days of testing are over and for four-time World Champion Vettel it was also rewarding time to get used to the new 2022 car. The AMR22 took to the track for the first time, but it didn't turn out without a struggle. The team suffered greatly from 'porpoising'; the problem that plagued most teams on the grid. The team tried to work around it, but as a result Vettel's car was incredibly slow in the slow corners.

Vettel positive despite difficult week

The final day of testing also fell apart for the team when the Heppenheimer's car stalled. Vettel got out and noticed smoke coming from his new car. The 53-time race winner extinguished his car himself. The repair work was not finished in time, bringing an early end to the last day of testing for the Aston Martin team. Despite this, Vettel is very positive about the first three days: "We have just finished testing and have gathered a lot of useful data and learned a lot about the car."

"Obviously there is still a lot to do. There is still a lot of work ahead of us, but the first impression was good. I am now looking ahead to the next test week in Bahrain." Vettel let it be known that nothing is wrong yet, despite the somewhat difficult three days of testing. In Bahrain there is another chance. Despite the problems, Vettel's results are not even bad. Indeed, on the soft tire, the C5 tire, Vettel recorded the third fastest time of 1:19:824. In addition, his total of 174 laps puts him in the middle of the pack, with only ten laps less than Lewis Hamilton .