Four-time World Champion Sebastian Vettel’s Ferrari exit paved the way for him to join the newly rebranded Aston Martin F1 Team – and he’ll undoubtedly be looking to immediately establish himself as the team’s number one driver.
However, with Lance Stroll having driven for the team for two seasons and being the son of its owner, Lawrence Stroll, the German may need to dig deep to outscore his young Canadian team-mate in 2021.
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With less than two months to go until lights out in Bahrain, Aston Martin team principal Otmar Szafnauer has said he believes Stroll “definitely has the talent” to outscore Vettel.
“He could very well do, he definitely has the talent. The thing that last year he lacked a bit was consistency, and that was for a bunch of reasons,” Szafnauer said.
“He was on for perhaps a podium when he had a tyre failure [at Mugello], you know, not his fault.
“Also, unfortunately he caught the COVID. You’re never a 100% when you come back a week later from that.
“So consistency is what Lance will be working on this coming season. He is very well capable of doing that.
“Once he becomes more consistent with those podiums and pole positions and scoring points, for sure, he will take the fight to Sebastian.
“And that is exactly what we want. That we have two drivers scoring regularly, that’s what we need for us to finish in the top three,” the Aston Martin team principal added.
Despite having the third-fastest car last season, Racing Point, as they were then called, ended up fourth in the Constructors’ Championship.
Sergio Perez, who will race for Red Bull next season, finished fourth in the 2020 Drivers’ Standings, while Stroll could only manage eleventh.
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