Aston Martin driver Sebastian Vettel will finally make a comeback behind the wheels at the Australian Grand Prix.
The German driver was forced to miss the first two rounds after testing positive for COVID-19.
Although the entire Aston Martin camp and F1 fans worldwide were happy to see Vettel back in action, he received a sanction from the FIA after a scooter incident.
It provided some great pictures and many could be seen wearing big smiles as they saw Vettel in action once again, but certain penalties are expected to be levied on the four-time world champion.
After a treacherous start to the campaign that has seen Aston Martin fail to record any points in its opening two races, the presence of Vettel in the paddocks will come as welcome relief to the team.
While Vettel was in isolation, his duties were performed by reserve driver Nico Hulkenberg, who put in an admirable effort considering he had no prior experience in the car.
In fact, he fared better than Lance Stroll and that will be cause for concern for the entire Aston Martin camp.
What exactly happened with Seb?
On his return, Vettel was forced to step out of his car after smoke could be seen coming out of it during a practice session.
A scooter soon reached Seb and although sanctions have been imposed on him, he claimed that he asked for permission before riding off in it.
“I said, ‘Can I drive it?’ Because I prefer to drive myself. And then he handed me the scooter, so I said, ‘OK,’ and he said, ‘Off you go.’ And I went,” he said.
He duly went on to confirm on his social media account that he felt he was much faster on the bicycle than on the scooter. That’s the environmentally-conscious Seb we have all grown to love!
Even though he maintained a light-hearted demeanor after the incident occurred, there is no doubt that this would be a bitter blow for Vettel.
Already short of practice, Vettel needs all the exposure he can possibly get in his 2022 challenger.
It is imperative for him to get up to speed as soon as possible, both for his pride and for the sake of his struggling Aston Martin team.
“It stopped our running, which was painful, and unfortunately it also cost us the whole session in the afternoon, which is not ideal,” Vettel said.
“I haven’t been in the car for a while. Plus the track is different. It will be fine tomorrow, but it would have been nice to get more laps.”
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