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Sebastian Vettel was not there in person to witness Aston Martin’s start to the 2022 Formula 1 season in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, but he was there in spirit – or, more accurately, on the screen.

In typical fashion, Vettel had refused to allow a positive Covid test stand between him and his colleagues, with team principal Mike Krack revealing the four-time World Champion was “virtually present” in all of Aston Martin’s meetings.

His work ethic has not always been fully appreciated by his employers in the past with Maurizio Arrivabene, his former boss at Ferrari, effectively viewing Vettel as a busybody whose efforts would be better spent driving the car rather than interfering with other elements of the operation.

But at a time even those in the paddock have openly questioned his motivation to continue in F1, it is surely an encouraging sign that even when in the grip of illness Vettel remains committed enough to have maintained communication and offer his guidance, advice and expertise from afar.

“We were in constant contact,” Nico Hulkenberg, Vettel’s replacement for the opening two rounds, said of his involvement. “He was pretty battered.”

Much like his team, then.

Keeping up to date with Aston Martin’s every move from his home in