Helmut Marko fears for Sebastian Vettel’s “motivation” as the Aston Martin driver returns to action at the Australian Grand Prix.

Vettel has missed the first two races of the new season after contracting COVID-19 in the lead-up to the Bahrain curtain-raiser.

Nico Hulkenberg, the team’s reserve driver, stepped up to partner Lance Stroll in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, performing creditably.

But neither The Hulk nor team owner’s son Lance Stroll were able to score a point, leaving Aston Martin along with Williams as the two constructors yet to get off the mark this term.

That follows a 2021 campaign that was also disappointing for the Silverstone-based team in the first year since their rebrand from Racing Point, dropping from fourth to seventh in the standings with Vettel down in 12th in the Drivers’ list.