At the wheel of an uncompetitive Ferrari SF1000 with which he has more difficulties than his teammate Charles Leclerc, Sebastian Vettel is having a particularly complicated start to the 2020 season. The quadruple World Champion occupies only one anonymous 11th place in the championship after six Grands Prix, the best result was a sixth place in Hungary, far from its usual standards. The situation seems to be exacerbated by the announced end of his adventure at Ferrari and by the uncertainties over his presence in F1 next year, while every radio talk about strategy is now scrutinized and interpreted as a sign of tension. A tension, however, denied by both parties at the end of the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona.
Beyond the results, it is also the form and the manner that are of concern. However, Vettel wants to approach this situation with hindsight and lucidity, refusing to give in hastily to a record that could not be other than catastrophic. Asked about the start of the season, he puts it into perspective and assures us in passing that he has complete confidence in Ferrari despite appearances which would therefore be misleading. “I don’t think it’s fair to label the seasons or the races”, says Vettel. “I know a lot of people tend to say ‘it was my best race, my worst race, my best performance or my worst performance ever.’ I think it’s pretty hard to make that kind of statement because it there are a lot of races. ”
“Whatever the situation, I am sure that I trust the people around me and the people who work on my car”, he continues. “I struggle with a lack of confidence, and this confidence [qui manque] comes from a lack of grip, so it’s not just that you don’t feel comfortable driving the car. We’re still trying to figure out where it came from exactly, but at the same time, we have to move forward, move forward, tackle it. “
Faced with this observation, what feeling does the German pilot have? “Not frustrated”, he retorts as if to anticipate the word before it is spoken. “Like I said, I have known better. I obviously love to fight at the front lines. I love to win, to feel that I can win, to achieve great results, and we haven’t done it yet. . “
Although his departure from the Scuderia approaches, Vettel does not give up on a return to grace, or at least to results more in line with his status, while being aware of the difficulty that this represents. “It will be difficult this year with the package we have, but I think Charles has proven that we can still have good races”, he emphasizes. “If you make sure you are in a good position, that you can take advantage of it, you can still get a podium. It has always worked that way, and on many occasions I I’ve found myself on the safe side. Lately, I haven’t. Overall, if you sum up, not my best start to the season. But I wouldn’t go so far as to talk about frustration.”
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