Aston Martin’s Sebastian Vettel was delighted to get the opportunity to ride with 1984 rally champion Stig Blomqvist during the Race of Champions [ROC] event in Sweden.
Vettel travelled to the event to compete alongside Mick Schumacher for Team Germany and, after Valtteri Bottas pulled out of due to unavoidable commitments, the pair struggled as the 34-year-old tasted defeat at the hands of F1 Esports driver Lucas Blakely.
However, the four-time world champion would then contest the Champion of Champions event shortly thereafter, making it to the final where he was ultimately beaten 3-1 by nine-time rally champion Sebastian Loeb.
He would then get an opportunity of a lifetime when he was given the chance to take a ride with Blomqvist in the iconic 1984 Audi Quattro S1 that guided the Swede to title glory that year.
An irritated Vettel famously pushed a man dressed as the Stig away from the podium celebrations at the 2019 Mexican Grand Prix as he was trying to take a selfie with the German, Sir Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas.
He quipped that he was glad to take a ride with the actual Stig this year.
“More than that. I think the car is iconic, but then to have the chance to ride with the Stig – and the proper one not the made-up one – has been really cool,” he told the Race.
“I’m very grateful that Stig still does these types of events and then I was begging to get into the car and I used the opportunity to go side by side.
“It was magical in many ways. So I really enjoyed it.”
While the former Red Bull and Ferrari driver thoroughly enjoyed the experience, he does not envy those that had to sit in the passenger side while Blomqvist threw the car around courses like Monte Carlo.
“In that car, I’m not sure I would be a passenger in a rally like the Monte Carlo or another one with the longest straights and faster corners!,” he added.
“But it was really cool.”
Vettel will once again race for Aston Martin alongside Lance Stroll in 2022, with the team having revealed this year’s challenger on 10 February.