This Formula 1 season, Sebastian Vettel and Lance Stroll enter their second year as teammates at Aston Martin. After falling short of expectations in 2021, the team hopes to make progress with the new AMR22.
Aston Martin Technical Director Andrew Green believes driver continuity is all the more important given the extensive rule changes teams have had to face in preparation for the new season: “I’m really pleased that we have the driver line-up with such a massive rule change maintained because I think that stability is really important.”
He describes the Vettel-Stroll driver pairing as “really strong”. “In Seb we have a super talented, super experienced driver who has helped us in many ways on and off the track,” emphasizes the Brit. “His experience will be very useful.”
Green: “They work really well together”
“On the other hand we have Lance who has now driven 100 Grands Prix. He’s super talented, he’s super fast. He’s gaining wisdom and experience with every race. And they both work very well with the technical department.”
“And that’s the key: They work really well together, but they also work very well together with the technical department. We also have to pull together in this area because there is so much to learn again with the new car. Because every aspect is new here too, the new aerodynamics, especially the tyres. They will be a great unknown for everyone,” said Green.
In order to adapt to and deal with it, a good driver pairing is “really helpful”, the engineer knows. And Stroll is also looking forward to contesting another Formula 1 season with Vettel in the same team. “We always learn from each other,” says the Canadian. “I from his driving style, he from my driving style.”
Stroll: “General driving style will definitely be different”
“In one corner he may be better than me, in another I may be better than him. I think we push each other. He’s an incredibly talented driver, four-time world champion, who has a lot of experience. It’s great to be with him to work together.”
As for his own evolution as a rider, Stroll says that as he gains experience he has a better idea of what limits him and what exactly to look for in order to solve a problem. “But we’re still a team and we’ll have to learn as a team,” he said.
With a view to the new rule era, the Aston Martin driver speaks of a learning curve for engineers and drivers alike. “Also the general driving style will definitely be different because the characteristics of these cars are very different. But I’m looking forward to it. And I really hope that the races will be much better, that we can go wheel to wheel and be able to overtake better.”