Red Bull team principal Christian Horner says he feels sorry for Sebastian Vettel now that Aston Martin have proven themselves to be one of the quickest cars on the grid.
Vettel decided to retire from F1 at the end of the 2022 season after a glittering career in which he won four titles back-to-back with Red Bull between 2010 and 2013.
He subsequently moved on to Ferrari but could not help the Scuderia win a title in the face of Mercedes' dominance, before ending his career with Aston Martin.
This year, Lawrence Stroll's men have stormed from mid-table to being one of the fastest on the grid with the presence of two-time champion Fernando Alonso, who has finished on the podium in six of the eight races so far.
Speaking to Sport Bild, Horner said that Vettel must be frustrated at how the team's pace has evolved but is convinced they would not be where they are on the grid right now if it wasn't for the German's input over the years.
"It must be frustrating for Seb to see how well the Aston Martin is doing this year," said the Red Bull supremo.
"He didn't have an easy time there. But the truth is that without Seb Aston Martin wouldn't be where they are this year. He has his share of the success. And he will still enjoy the time with his family."