Aston Martin's F1 engineers took it upon themselves to build a home simulator for Sebastian Vettel, a device based on elements from the team's AMR21.
All F1 teams house or have access to state-of-the-art simulators to conduct their development work or for their simulator drivers to help with set-up work on race weekends.
But when a season is in full swing a driver might also feel the need to sample a set-up in the sim or get acquainted with a new circuit or refresh his knowledge of an upcoming track.
However, with logistics often imposing time constraints on drivers during the year, a home simulator can prove to be a useful tool to a driver seeking to put in a few hours of driving ahead of an event.
©AstonMartin
Aston Martin put Vettel's home sim project on its rails in April 2021, with Senior Garage Equipment Designer Matt Tomalin overseeing the hardware's design using CAD tools. And it was delivered to Vettel's home in Switzerland in September of last year.
Built around the AMR21's basic cockpit, it is fitted with Seb's race seat, headrest and seatbelts, and features three wide screens that offer quasi panoramic viewing.
"Leading simulator designer and manufacturer Pro Sim also supported the team in the provision of the steering wheel feedback system, and in the calibration of a braking system that mimics an F1 car's set-up," says Aston Martin.
"AMF1 and Pro Sim have combined to create a truly unique simulator.
"While drivers across the grid have access to their own, Sebastian's takes the rare step of replicating the driver cockpit experience."
From now on, Vettel no longer needs to indulge in a costly and time-consuming private flight to Aston's base at Silverstone to prepare for a race in his team's simulator.
The four-time world champion can grind away in the sim from the comfort of his home, demonstrating, as Aston says, "his commitment to extracting every bit of performance he can".
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