Sebastian Vettel was seen getting up to his usual antics in the aftermath of the 2022 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix sprint race, much to the amusement of fans on social media.
The German started the race ninth after becoming the first Aston Martin driver this season to make it into Q3, but fell back during the 21-lap sprint as his tyres degraded, leaving him P13.
Vettel has earned himself a multitude of nicknames throughout his career – both “Fireman Seb” and “Scooter Seb” made an appearance in Australia – and footage of Parc Ferme in Imola on Saturday showcased the return of “Inspector Seb”.
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The four-time champion was seen checking out the back of the Red Bull, before taking a few steps to the left and having a peek at the McLaren after both teams performed well during the sprint, collecting 21 points between them.
He then extensively observed the underside of a multitude of cars – including the Ferrari – as he tried to gauge where Aston Martin might have gone so wrong in their development if the AMR22 under the new technical regulations, which have seen the return of ground effect aerodynamics.
The 34-year-old got involved with a battle with compatriot and friend Mick Schumacher during his descent down the order, and the pair discussed their eventful day in the media pen as the former Ferrari driver divulged the drop-off in grip he suffered on the Softs.
“It was fun right?” asked Schumacher.
“Yeah it was,” replied Vettel.
READ: Sebastian Vettel branded Formula 1’s GOAT after Imola qualifying
“Better for him but I knew he was on the medium tyre so I was struggling more and more with my soft tyres.
“I could keep him behind for a while and then yeah, once it was time he was faster and it was fun racing.”
Saturday’s sprint means that Aston Martin are still yet to score any points in 2022, but there is anticipation of changeable conditions for Sunday’s grand prix, perhaps presenting Vettel and team-mate Lance Stroll with a chance to change that.