Vettel names Aston car after Bond girl character

40

Sebastian Vettel's long-standing habit of giving his F1 car of the year an evocative female name has remained intact following his move to Aston Martin.

From 'Kate's Dirty Sister' or 'Luscious Liz' at Red Bull to the turbulent 'Eva' or capricious 'Gina' at Ferrari, the promiscuous Mr. Vettel has enjoyed a good many loving encounters over the years.

It's therefore hardly surprising to see him continue his tradition with Aston Martin, where he has chosen the suggestive sobriquet of 'Honey Ryder', proving for good measure that Vettel knows his James Bond classics.

'Honey Ryder' was the character in Ian Fleming's Dr. No and who was played in the 1963 film by sumptuous Swiss actress Ursula Andress, whose picture we could not resist including alongside Sean Connery, the original 007.

Upon the name reveal in Bahrain on Thursday, Vettel was asked what his favourite Aston car and Bond film is.

"I think the DB5 is probably the most iconic car," he said. "I think it's a very, very cool car and it's nice that it came back some years ago.

"Favourite movie? Favourite Bond? I think Sean Connery and to be fair Piers Brosnan. That's my youth but yeah, Sean Connery. I think just very good style.

"And which movie? I quite like the first one. It kicked it off, obviously because of Honey Ryder."

Read also: Hill says Vettel doesn't look 'motivated and confident'

Speaking about his new team and environment, Vettel said he was happy with how he has so far settled in, despite the lack of mileage suffered in pre-season testing.

"I’m quite happy," he said. "I think I felt quite comfortable straightaway despite the little running, I think I think I got along with the car.

"There's some things that I still need to work on and I need to get used to, but I think time will take care of these things.

"Even with more laps in the test, there will still be some things that would need some getting used to. So, yeah, I'm pretty relaxed. I think it will be okay."

Gallery: The beautiful wives and girlfriends of F1 drivers

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter

Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.