Sebastian Vettel, the four-time Formula One world champion, was fined 5,000 euros on Friday. His Aston Martin broke down in first practice and then he rode a scooter around the Australian Grand Prix track. After missing the first two races of the season due to COVID-19, the German’s return to competition was not as smooth as he had hoped.
Vettel had completed a few laps when his car came to a halt, with smoke spewing from the exhaust pipe. Following his exit, the German took a fire extinguisher from a track marshal and sprayed the car. After the session, he returned on a motor scooter, wearing his helmet on top of his head and waving both hands at fans.
Sebastian Vettel’s Aston Martin requires a new power unit
Vettel was fined 5,000 euros ($5,420.50) for riding a scooter around the Australian Grand Prix circuit. He was summoned by the stewards and penalized for accessing the track without permission five minutes after a session had concluded, He claimed he was given the all-clear by a marshal who provided him with the scooter. “I said, ‘Can I drive it?’ Because I prefer to drive myself,” Vettel told reporters in the paddock. “And then he handed me the scooter, so I said, ‘OK,’ and he said, ‘Off you go.’ And I went. “I mean I would like to get the car back and not have a problem in the first place. I’m not here to drive a scooter.”
The marshal attempted to call race control for instructions. However, Vettel headed off alone and on the circuit rather than the approved route, according to the stewards. Vettel, who had set the 13th fastest lap before his accident, was unable to participate in the second free practice session, with Aston Martin stating that a new power unit would be required. “It will be fine tomorrow but it would have been nice to get a few more laps,” he said.