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Sebastian Vettel's moped ride around the Albert Park Circuit at the end of the first free practice session might see him get penalized by the FIA. The German was seen riding around the track and waving out to fans after missing the first two rounds of the 2022 season due to COVID-19.
Vettel's 2022 debut came to a premature halt after his Aston Martin developed an engine-related issue, causing him to jump out of the car and seek the nearest marshal. The German driver was also seen using a fire extinguisher to promptly eliminate any chances of his engine setting ablaze.
Once all the cars had finished their runs post-checkered flag, four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel was seen riding a moped around the track to return to the paddock. Soon after, race control announced that the former Red Bull driver was under investigation for entering the track without permission. A meeting with the stewards is likely to take place ahead of the second practice session later today.
Article 26.7 of the F1 sporting regulations states that no one is allowed on the track, at the pit entry or pit exit five minutes after every practice session. Vettel has broken this rule and will likely be penalized for his actions by the FIA.
Sebastian Vettel keen to return to racing in Australia
Not having driven the 2022 Aston Martin AMR-22 under Grand Prix conditions, Sebastian Vettel claimed he is excited to return to the sport post-COVID-19. The driver likened his late arrival to that of going to school a little late.
Speaking in a team preview ahead of the Australian GP, the Aston Martin driver said:
“After testing positive and missing the first two races, it feels a bit like arriving late to school, so I’m really keen to get going again. Starting my season in Australia is something I’ve done before, of course, and it’s also great that Formula 1 is returning after a difficult couple of years.”
The German driver was replaced by Aston Martin’s reserve driver Nico Hulkenberg for the Bahrain GP and Saudi Arabian GP. Sebastian Vettel was looking forward to the practice sessions ahead of the Grand Prix, having missed out on precious track time so far in 2022. The driver, however, retired 15 minutes earlier than planned during FP1 after developing an engine issue, further reducing his overall time spent in the new machinery.
