Horner: 'That must be frustrating for Vettel'
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Sebastian Vettel had to leave Ferrari after the 2020 season and then found shelter at Aston Martin. The German showed at times that he had not lost his racing touch, but decided to call it a day after two seasons in British service. Just after Vettel quit, Aston Martin was stringing together podium finishes. Frustrating?
Aston Martin should thank Vettel
Christian Horner thinks so. Vettel was regularly able to compete for points with the AMR21 and AMR22, once he even got on the podium (second in the 2021 Azerbaijan Grand Prix). However, he did not get further than a 12th and 11th place in the world championship, and so his F1 career might have gone out like a bit of a candle.
"It must be frustrating for Seb to see how well the Aston Martin is doing this year," Horner told German magazine Sport Bild. "He didn't have an easy time there. But the truth is that without Seb, Aston Martin would not be where they are this year. He has had his share of success. And he will still enjoy the time with his family."
Vettel has started 299 Grand Prix in Formula 1. In his career, he took four world titles (between 2010 and 2013), recorded 53 victories and stood on the podium no less than 122 times in total. 57 times Vettel started from pole position on Sunday.