Belgian GP : Post-Friday practice reaction from Vettel and Stroll

After a disappointing Hungarian GP disqualification, Aston Martin wants to start the second half of the season best possible way. As their drivers Lance Stroll and Sebastian Vettel ended Friday practice for the 2021 Belgian Grand Prix in a promising sixth and eighth respectively.

Sebastian and Lance began the day in cool conditions on Intermediate tyres as the Formula One field sought to create a clear racing line after early morning rain caused stagnant water on the track .

After 15 minutes of running, the track was dry enough to facilitate a switch to Mediums so Sebastian and Lance could set the AMR21’s baseline.

Sebastian was one of the first drivers to set a representative lap time, and moved to the top following a 1.49.324 lap time, while Lance put together a series of quick laps to move third with a 1.49.618 effort.

Sebastian secured seventh after lapping in 1.46.177, while Lance posted 1.46.649 lap for P11 before ending the session with a short stint on a set of used Medium tyres. Both drivers managed to complete 19 laps in the morning session.

Between FP1 and FP2, the rain returned, creating the classic Spa conditions – completely dry at some corners and wet at others.

Sebastian was one of a few drivers to head out immediately on the Intermediate tyres in FP2, completing two laps before returning to the pitlane. Lance set his personal best time of 1.45.180 to secure sixth, while Sebastian finished eighth following a 1.45.336 effort.

The Canadian managed to complete 14 laps while his team mate completed 16 laps in the afternoon session. Team will now study the whole data collected on Friday to come up with better set up for race and qualifying.

Sebastian Vettel: 

“It is good to be back after the break and I felt comfortable in the car straight away.

“It was not easy to complete a lot of laps because of the conditions and the two red flags this afternoon, but we were able to collect some important data.

“I think there is more to come from me and the car, and we know what to work on overnight to be ready for qualifying.

“I think the changeable weather is here to stay, so reading the conditions and being on the right tyre at the right time will be key.

“Wet weather can always mix up the grid a bit, so hopefully we can capitalise on any opportunities this weekend.”

Lance Stroll: 

“It is great to be back at Spa. I love coming here because it is such a special track. We got through our programme today to complete a good number of laps and I was comfortable in the car.

“It has been a strong start for us, but the damp conditions out there show it could be quite unpredictable on Saturday and Sunday.

“The weather being a bit of an unknown is challenging, but that makes it more exciting for us drivers. I am looking forward to getting back in the car tomorrow and building on today’s work.”