Share

Vettel lacks 'a bit of confidence in the car'

Cape Town - He may have won the season-opening Australian Grand Prix but Sebastian Vettel says he doesn't have full confidence in his SF71H.

The German was lapping in third place in Melbourne, some ten seconds down on race leader Lewis Hamilton, when he was handed P1 by Hamilton and Kimi Raikkonen pitting.

That turned into a race win thanks to a timely Virtual Safety Car.

But while Vettel may be the man on top of the Drivers' standings after round 1, he says he is not entirely happy with his SF71H.

"We lack a little bit of pace," he told Sky Sports.

"I lack a little bit of confidence in the car so it's not yet where we want to be and there's a lot of work still to do.

"When the balance is changing between stints, I'm not yet completely captain on-board," he said.

"I just didn't like the feel of it. If I don't feel what I need it's a bit tricky.

"The car doesn't respond the way you like and it's still sliding in places you don't want it to slide. I want the car to be spot on when I hit brakes and turn in, and in that window," he said.

"If I could choose, I would like it a bit different. I think we can live with it but I feel also if we get on top of that then you feel more confident.

"At the moment, it just feels a bit too conscious."

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
26% - 1273 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1470 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2249 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE