Aston Martin credits their ascent in 2023 to Sebastian Vettel

Aston Martin has achieved the highest number of podiums in the team's history.

Aston Martin credits their ascent in 2023 to Sebastian Vettel

Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel (Via IMAGO)

Aston Martin‘s meteoric rise in the F1 standings has turned heads in the 2023 season, solidifying their position as a formidable contender for the upcoming 2024 campaign. After patiently biding their time for two years, the Silverstone-based team has transformed into a consistent podium finisher, and they attribute this success to their former driver, four-time champion Sebastian Vettel.

The German driver gracefully bowed out of the sport after the previous season, making way for his old rival, two-time champion Fernando Alonso. Alonso has impressively secured consecutive podium finishes from the season opener, amassing a total of eight. His fourth-place season finish significantly contributed to the team’s overall fifth-place standing, a success attributed to Vettel’s prior efforts.

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Vettel’s impact on Aston Martin extended beyond his on-track performance Vettel’s influence permeated the team culture, leaving an indelible mark on their approach to racing. As Mike Krack, Aston Martin’s team principal, succinctly puts it;’

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He brought a lot... it was not only the input in the car but also the input in working methods, in the way we do things.

Tom McCullough, Aston Martin’s performance director, underlines the driver’s unique role as the “best sensor in the car,” noting how Vettel’s connectivity to the vehicle allows him to pinpoint specific challenges in corners. This, McCullough contends, facilitates a deeper dive into the data, enhancing the team’s development efforts. He speaking to racefans.net commends Vettel’s influence;

When he joined us, he’d come from two championship-winning teams. At that time he brought a lot of small details.

Tom McCullough draws parallels between Sebastian Vettel and Rubens Barrichello in Willaims

Despite the progress made, Vettel did not reap the benefits of the team’s advancements and only managed to bag only a single podium in the two years with the team. Acknowledging the challenges faced during Vettel’s tenure, McCullough reveals;

For sure, we didn’t give him a good enough car over the two years he was here. By the end of his second year, we were making progress.
Sebastian Vettel (Left), Tom McCoullogh (Middle) and Rubens Barrichello (Right)
Sebastian Vettel (Left, credits: Planet Sport), Tom McCoullogh (Middle, credits: Racing News 365) and Rubens Barrichello (Right, credits: Crash.net)

Drawing a parallel to another F1 veteran whom McCullough worked with, Rubens Barrichello, who played a crucial role in Williams’ resurgence during 2010 and 2011, he highlights the similarity in their contributions. 

The 2012 car, which unfortunately he didn’t end up driving, was the result of a lot of the hard work he’d done. So that is very much the case.

Aston Martin’s ascent in 2023, securing eight podiums through Vettel’s replacement Fernando Alonso, echoes the positive momentum initiated by the German driver. The team’s newfound competitiveness positions them as a force to be reckoned with, a transformation underscored by Vettel’s pivotal role in shaping the team’s ethos and performance trajectory.

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