Vettel issues 2019 challenge to Ferrari

Sebastian Vettel has issued a challenge to is Ferrari team to learn from their mistakes in 2018 in order to take the fight to Mercedes once again next season. Vettel went from seeming title favourite in the summer to being blown away by Lewis Hamilton in the second half of the season.

The Scuderia were largely understood to have Formula 1' fastest car through much of the European leg of the season in 2018, but errors on track and pit-wall cost them dearly.

After Hamilton's fifth title was confirmed in Mexico last week, Vettel also pinpointed a three-race stretch between Singapore and Japan where Ferrari's upgrade package actually made the car slower.

Mercedes can wrap up a fifth-straight constructors' crown at this week's Brazilian GP, but Vettel says Ferrari's response must begin in Interlagos.

Facts and figures of the upcoming race. #BrazilGP #ForzaFerrari pic.twitter.com/yGqMojGnki — Scuderia Ferrari (@ScuderiaFerrari) November 8, 2018

Asked about Ferrari's costly dip, Vettel said: "It's a big question. Obviously along the way something went wrong and we need to learn from it.

"I think something went wrong, as in we didn't go and develop something in the right direction. So we missed something, not on purpose and not because something was by default set wrong.

"So it's up to us to find what went wrong and make sure it doesn't happen again. It's as simple as that, but not so simple to find and fix it as it sounds."

Vettel will hope for a repeat of 2017 this week – last year he won in Brazil after Hamilton had won the title in Mexico.

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