Former Formula 1 driver Marc Surer has suggested that Aston Martin's mediocre car is the main reason behind Sebastian Vettel's lack of points so far this season.

The German driver caused quite a stir when it was announced he was leaving Ferrari to join the newly rebranded Aston Martin team for 2021, with them changing their name from Racing Point.

Indeed, 2020 was a real success for the team as they finished fourth in the Constructors' but they've so far failed to build on that, with the likes of Ferrari, Alpine and AlphaTauri all moving ahead of them in the pecking order in 2021.

Indeed, it's obviously not what Vettel signed up for as he would have hoped that 2020 was going to be a springboard for the team but, for Surer, it's actually more of a reverting to type for the team who have previously run under the Force India and Jordan guises in years gone by.

Speaking to German outlet Sport 1, he suggested that Vettel made the right call to jump from the Scuderia and join the team in 2020 but that the team's 'history' means he's been handed a 'mediocre' car.

“He certainly did everything right,” he said.

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“The problem is the team’s history, they only ever built mediocre cars and last year they suddenly had a top car.

“He thought he would jump up. But they had a 100 percent Mercedes copy.

“He probably thought he would get on because Mercedes was somehow involved.”

Of course, the Racing Point had components from the Mercedes last year but it does again this season - it's more the aerodynamic regulation changes for this year that have left Vettel and team-mate Lance Stroll with a lot of work to do.

The Canadian, of course, is the only one of the two to register a points finish this season and that is what Vettel will be eager to try and do, too, but time will only tell as to when he's going to manage that.