Vettel: 'I need to do a better job'

How far away these winter tests in Barcelona in February seem. So slightly ahead Mercedes according to the timesheet, Ferrari already saw himself returning to the top of the hierarchy during the first round in Melbourne.

Six months later, the results are clear: after twelve Grands Prix contested, no victory can be counted for the Scuderia. If Spa and Monza (September 1 and 8) should be more to the advantage of the Italian brand, Sebastian Vettel remains realistic about the current situation.

Indeed, after having played at the forefront in Germany, the passage to the Hungaroring track, made of slow and winding turns, was a harsh return to reality for the men from Maranello.

First, more than half a second behind the poleman in qualifying, Vettel, nor Leclerc, were never able to fight against Mercedes and Red Bull. Worse in the race, the gap between the leader (Hamilton) and the best of the two Ferraris (Vettel) was more than a minute behind when crossing the finish line.

If it is impossible for him to be satisfied with the behavior of his car During the first part of the season, the German driver was nevertheless critical of himself, particularly regarding his driving on the circuits of Bahrain, Canada and Great Britain.

“Currently, it is not enough, estimates Vettel, quoted by Sky Sports. It's never easy to come up with magical solutions [...] We must work intensely on our problems, efficiently and calmly. That is the key. I think there have been some ups and downs this year.

Some races were a little better than others. I need to do a better job. In fact, looking at the points table and performances compared to others, it is clear that we are not where we would like to be. »

And the situation becomes all the more urgent because if Mercedes seems to have already “killed” the championship, Red Bull is fast approaching Ferrari in the Manufacturers' standings.

The Milton Keynes team has also modified its lines by demoting Pierre Gasly at Toro Rosso, the Thai Alexander albon going the opposite way from the Spa-Francorchamps meeting.