'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Sebastian Vettel was cautiously optimistic about the prospects of the updated Aston Martin that was brought to the Spanish GP. The new car bears an uncanny resemblance to Red Bull's RB18. However, the team has been given the green light by the FIA after doing their due diligence.
Meanwhile, the upgrades seem to be doing their job as the new car appears to have taken a step forward. The four-time world champion finished inside the top ten in FP2 and his long-runs, too, seemed to be remarkable.
Pondering over the weekend and the prospects of the Spanish GP, Sebastian Vettel was quietly optimistic. However, he did not want to get carried away by the car's performance on the first day of the race weekend.
He said:
“It feels like we are moving in the right direction, but we must remember that this is the first day of our running this car. You cannot make many comparisons to pre-season testing because the weather and track conditions are so different, so there is still a lot to learn and understand. Still, it is positive to end today inside the top 10, but let’s see how we go across the weekend. We do not expect immediate results, but we want to continue to make progress.”
The German driver mentions how the team does not expect immediate results, instead they would only like to improve.
Sebastian Vettel's teammate offers similar views
Sebastian Vettel's teammate Lance Stroll had a similar opinion about the first day of the updated car. The Canadian-Belgian driver believes that there is a lot more that can be unlocked from the car as the team is still learning how to optimise it. He said:
“It has been a positive first day. We are making progress but we took it a little carefully today because we are understandably a little short on spares. Today feels like a step in the right direction, but we are still pushing for more. Over one lap, the car felt good, but I think there is more to come with the car balance. We will go away tonight and investigate the data and see where we can make improvements before qualifying tomorrow.”
Aston Martin's new car has certainly turned heads in the paddock. Numerous teams have reacted to the resemblance the British team's car bears to the RB18. Red Bull's former chief aerodynamicist Dan Fallow's move, along with that of multiple other former Red Bull employees, to Aston Martin seems to be extremely concerning to the Austrian team. Red Bull is said to be investigating some evidence at the time. Only time will tell what their investigation unearths.
Stay tuned to watch the story unfold over the weekend in Barcelona.
