Vettel: “We were just too slow”

Sebastian Vettel had the unpleasant surprise of seeing himself slower than the Mercedes and that Red Bull de Max Verstappen last weekend at the Australian GP. The two-time reigning winner of the event was not even able to get on the podium and had his 4th place saved by team instructions at the expense of his new teammate Charles Leclerc.

Yet, Ferrari SF90 appeared to be the benchmark single-seaters at the start of the season during the winter tests held in Barcelona (Spain).

“We were just too slow, confirmed Sebastian Vettel, quoted on the official F1 website. I had much less grip. We were happy with the tire life from the first day of testing in Barcelona. The balance was good and the car responded well to what was asked of it. I felt really confident. »

“I didn't find that confidence that I had in Barcelona and I no longer found this car which reacted to the finger and the eye, said the four-time world champion. We were performing well in some areas, but that wasn't the case in most of the corners where we were slower than the others. »

If the Melbourne track is considered special due to its location in the city, Scuderia Ferrari is certainly looking forward to the next meeting where the German also has two successes.

Discover the analysis of the Australian GP carried out by our special correspondents in issue 2208 of AUTOhebdo, available now in digital version on all platforms, and on newsstands this Wednesday.