Sebastian Vettel says suggestions Mercedes would prevent Aston Martin from beating them are “old school”.
The former Racing Point team made significant gains last year after forming closer ties with the Brackley-based outfit and essentially cloning their 2019 car.
Further upgrades for this season are expected to bring Aston Martin even closer to the front, potentially even keeping Red Bull on their toes.
But should the team eventually get to the point where they could go head-to-head with Mercedes, Vettel doesn’t believe the view that customers can’t beat their suppliers would apply.
“I’m not worried about that,” he was quoted by Motorsport Week. “I think your fears are old school. The world has moved on.
“In the past, probably you were right. In some cases, it may still be present, in other cases a long time ago.
“With somebody like Mercedes, I think we can trust that you get very fair treatment and if you are faster you will be allowed to beat them.
“I think this sort of mindset [of thinking there is a disadvantage] is way out of date as a principle. I see where you’re coming from, but I’m not worried.
“I think if we are very close to Mercedes that’s a very good achievement, so that will be the last thing I’ll worry about.”
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After the launch of Aston’s 2021 car last week, Vettel got his first opportunity to drive it in a shakedown at Silverstone.
That moment also marked the first time the four-time world champion had driven a Mercedes-powered car in his F1 career.
“Obviously the Mercedes power unit is supposedly the strongest on the grid and it will be my first time with Mercedes in Formula 1 so I’m looking forward to seeing how they work,” said Vettel.
“I already got introduced to the power unit and how it’s meant to be working and handling and so on, so I think this can only help us.”
After six years at Ferrari, who of course design all the parts for their cars, the 33-year-old believes being a customer team has its own benefits for Aston Martin.
“The fact that we’re not in charge of the engine and its development and so on and we can benefit from such a strong partner is only a help, so we can get on with the car and worry about that,” he concluded.