Sebastian Vettel says he is eager to sample Mercedes power for the first time in his Formula 1 career after making the move to Aston Martin.
Vettel won all four of his world titles with Red Bull Racing, when the squad was powered by Renault’s V8 engines, and switched to Ferrari in 2015.
For 2021 Vettel has linked up with Aston Martin, which has had a lengthy partnership with Mercedes, stretching back to its early years as Force India.
Aston Martin unveiled its AMR21 on Wednesday and the car is due to run at a shakedown at Silverstone today (Thursday) with Vettel and Lance Stroll both due to drive.
“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.
“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.”
Vettel also dismissed any suggestions that Aston Martin’s long-term ambitions could be thwarted by its status as a customer outfit.
“I think with somebody like Mercedes I think you can trust that you get a very fair treatment and if you are faster then you are allowed to beat them,” he said. “I think this sort of mindset is way out of date as a principle.
“I think if we are very, very close to Mercedes that is a very good achievement so that would be the last thing I would worry about.”
