Sebastian Vettel talks up Aston Martin progress as upgrades get first run in Spain

Sebastian Vettel has said he feels Aston Martin are on the right path after getting to put the car’s new upgrades through a first full Grand Prix distance.

The AMR22 looked a fair bit different this weekend compared to the start of the season with the sidepods being overhauled.

Indeed, it’s a fascinating design change but one Aston believe is going to enhance their performance, though it’s going to take time to see that.

Both Vettel and Lance Stroll are getting to grips with how their new-look car behaves and that was the case in Barcelona, with them out in Q1 in qualifying on Saturday.

Both men made progress up the field on Sunday, though neither got points, and Vettel does believe they’re heading in the right direction with this new design ethos:

“Today was all about managing the tyres and the grip – it was very slippery out there.

“Everyone’s tyres were falling to pieces and lots of drivers pitted fairly early, so we tried something different by opting for a two-stopper. In the end, I do not think it really made too much of a difference.

“Ultimately, we just lacked a bit too much pace to really be able to attack the points-scoring positions. But we tried something – P11 is not much of a reward, but we had a decent race. We knew this new package was not going to be a massive step straight away, but we believe it is a better direction for the future. We are making progress and going forwards, and that is what really matters.”

Vettel and Aston head to Monaco this weekend and they’ll be looking to see what extra data they can garner surrounding their new-look car.