Vettel lacking “100 laps” of Aston Martin test mileage
Sebastian Vettel feels he is lacking "100 laps" of mileage at the wheel of his Aston Martin Formula 1 car after the conclusion of the pre-season test in Bahrain.
The four-time champion wrapped up his programme with his new team on Sunday, managing 56 laps on his way to the second slowest time of the day.
After the three days of track action, Vettel was the racing driver with the smallest amount of laps completed - 117 - only ahead of Williams' test driver Roy Nissany with 83.
Asked how far behind the planned scheduled he was, the German said: "One hundred laps! Obviously I would have liked to just get more mileage. That's the main thing.
"So today was very busy and I tried to make use of the track time which I felt I did and it was very good for me and I learned a lot of things, so now it's obviously to remember all these things and give feedback and remember going forward.
"As I said, overall it's probably 100 laps that I'm short, then probably something similar for Lance [Stroll]. We both obviously didn't get what we wanted. But it's not a big deal, it's what it is and we've got to move on."
Vettel's Aston Martin team was also second from the bottom in mileage completed during the test, only ahead of Mercedes.
Vettel said that understanding the car through more mileage was more important than trying to find the limits with a fast lap, having finished six seconds off the pace on the final day of running.
"More important than one lap is to really understand the car and for that I think just doing more and more laps help,” he said.
“So then doing a push lap is just putting the things together, or the lessons that you learn or acquire, so I'm not worried about that.
"It's obviously a box that we haven't ticked. I'm sure that come the race weekend and qualifying we'll see and the first race is the first race and if it happens the way it's planned, then there's another 22 to come after that.
"So there's plenty of time and it will be a busy year, so we try to obviously start off well. We had a mixed test with some hiccups."
The German driver said it was impossible to judge where Aston Martin stands at the moment, but conceded he still has a "steep learning curve" ahead.
"Where are we? I think it's very difficult to say in terms of competitiveness. We haven't done many runs that probably equal other people's runs to give us a bit of a comparison.
"But I don't think that's too important, because we'll find out in two weeks anyway, so everything from now onwards is nice for you, two weeks of speculation.
"We have to learn obviously a great deal about the car still when it comes to set up and so on, but I think everybody's in the same position. With three days of running, it's impossible to get everything in.
"So, yeah, I think for us the first couple of races will be especially for me a steep learning curve, but we take it from there."
Previous article
Murray Walker – A personal tribute by James Allen
Next article
Verstappen: No guarantees despite "best" Red Bull pre-season
About this article
| Series | Formula 1 |
| Event | Bahrain March testing |
| Drivers | Sebastian Vettel |
| Teams | Aston Martin Racing |
| Author | Pablo Elizalde |
How Do Drivers Stay Fit For F1 Grand Prix?
Ronnie Peterson and Jochen Rindt Tribute
#ThinkingForward with Juan Pablo Montoya
The delay that quashed Aston Martin’s last F1 venture
Aston Martin’s only previous foray into Formula 1 in the late 1950s was a short-lived and unsuccessful affair. But it could have been so different, says Nigel Roebuck.
Verstappen exclusive: Why lack of titles won't hurt Red Bull's ace
Max Verstappen’s star quality in Formula 1 is clear. Now equipped with a Red Bull car that is, right now, the world title favourite and the experience to support his talent, could 2021 be the Dutchman’s year to topple the dominant force of Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes?
Is Formula 1 as good as it has ever been now?
For many, many years Formula 1 has strived to do and to be better on all fronts. With close competition, a growing fanbase, a stable political landscape and rules in place to encourage sustainability, 2021 is on course to provide an unexpected peak
How Williams’ new structure adheres to a growing F1 trend
Williams held out against the tide for many years but, as MARK GALLAGHER explains, the age of the owner-manager is long gone
When a journeyman driver's F1 career lasted just 800m
Nikita Mazepin’s Formula 1 debut at the Bahrain Grand Prix lasted mere corners before he wiped himself out in a shunt, but his financial backing affords him a full season. Back in 1993 though, Marco Apicella was an F1 driver for just 800m before a first corner fracas ended his career. Here’s the story of his very short time at motorsport’s pinnacle.
How Raikkonen's rapid rise stalled his teammate's F1 career climb
Kimi Raikkonen's emergence as a Formula 1 star in his rookie campaign remains one of the legendary storylines from 2001, but his exploits had an unwanted impact on his Sauber teammate's own prospects. Twenty years on from his first F1 podium at the Brazilian GP, here's how Nick Heidfeld's career was chilled by the Iceman.
The nightmare timing that now hinders Mercedes
Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton took victory at the Bahrain Grand Prix despite, for a change, not having the quickest car. But any hopes of developing its W12 to surpass Red Bull's RB16B in terms of outright speed could not have come at a worse time.
How Verstappen's Bahrain mistake can only make him stronger
Max Verstappen lost out to Lewis Hamilton at the Bahrain Grand Prix by a tiny margin, slipping off the track just as victory was within his grasp. But the painful lesson from defeat can only help Verstappen come back even stronger
