Confusion reigns surrounding Aston Martin’s upgrades after reports emerged that only Lance Stroll would be receiving it, before further indications suggested that it would also be going to Sebastian Vettel.
Aston Martin have endured a torrid start to the 2022 season, scoring points on just three occasions in the opening five round between Vettel and Stroll, all of them in the last two rounds in Imola and Miami.
Nico Hulkenberg filled in for his compatriot in the first two races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia when the four-time champion fell with COVID-19, and having out-qualified Stroll in the first and out-raced him in the second race, he remarked that he was “keen,” but not “desperate” to return to the car.
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Upon Vettel’s return, he crashed twice in Australia, eventually putting an end to his race with a mistake at Turn Four in an erratic car, and he said that there were “too many things” going wrong with the AMR22.
They have been given some respite in the form of top 10 finishes for both their drivers in the last two rounds, but they still lie ahead only of Williams in the Constructors’ Championship, leaving a lingering doubt over Lawrence Stroll’s five-year championship plan.
The Canadian’s ability to run the team has also come into question, with 1997 champion Jacques Villeneuve telling him that he cannot run an F1 team like a “clothing chain or a watch brand.”
What the British team really need right now is an upturn in form, and they are set to be boosted towards it by the AMR22B, an all-new iteration of the car that has caused them so many issues at the start of the season.
Initially, Italian journalist Giuliano Duchessa implied that only Lance Stroll will be given the new car.
“Aston Martin will only carry one AMR22B to Barcelona which will be available to Lance Stroll,” he said.
However, Turkish journalist Kemal Sengul has now claimed that both Vettel and Stroll are to be given the updated challenger, with will feature some “major changes.”
“The updated “B vehicle” that Aston Martin has been working on for a long time is coming to Spain,” he tweeted.
“Sources close to the team say that unless there is a big surprise – contrary to what is claimed – the update will not come to one vehicle, but to both vehicles.
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“The philosophy of the vehicle is expected to change. Radiators, floor… Major changes are expected outside the nose.”
Stroll finished 10th last time out in Miami, while a “stupid” collision with Mick Schumacher put Vettel out of the race late on.