Vettel explains where Ferrari 'struggling' in Sochi
Vettel explains where Ferrari 'struggling' in Sochi
Sebastian Vettel concedes that Ferrari have "catching up to do" after trailing Mercedes by more than half a second in practice for the Russian Grand Prix. Lewis Hamilton went quickest to lay a marker down to his title rival in FP2, but Vettel could not match him.
Hamilton went quickest of all on Friday, clocking one minute 33.385 seconds, having previously kept within three tenths of Vettel in FP1, despite running with slower tyres.
Come FP2, where teams simulate qualifying and long-runs, Vettel was 0.543 seconds down on Hamilton's time on matching rubber, with the Red Bulls sat between the Silver Arrows and Ferraris.
Vettel has said he must win all six of the remaining six races of the year if he is to beat Hamilton to the title, but that appears unlikely at this stage.
Summing up his session, Vettel said: "Tricky. Obviously we looked quite far away from the rest of the field, so not ideal.
"I think we're struggling a bit for one lap but also in the long run. We went through our tyres a bit harder and quicker than the rest, so we need to have a look.
"But I think also, just looking at ourselves, it wasn't a good day in terms of feel for the car. I think there's more that we need to get to."
Having expressed frustration with Ferrari's strategy in Singapore last time out, the German was again tetchy over the radio after his long-run sims came in heavy traffic, but he was not too concerned.
"That's Friday for you," he said. "Sometimes you have better Fridays, sometimes not.
"For us it wasn't a particularly clean run in the end, but good enough.
"As I said, we struggled with the tyres with and without traffic. Certainly [running] in traffic doesn't help, but I think we have some catching up to do."
MORE: Vettel and Ferrari trail Hamilton and Mercedes in Sochi
MORE: Alonso among five drivers with grid penalties in Russia
Change your timezone:
Latest News
Hamilton F1 rival makes SURPRISE claim about Ferrari move
- 18 minutes ago
Schumacher names shock F1 star to replace Hulkenberg at Haas
- 1 hour ago
Hamilton in Arsenal title wish after STUNNING revelation
- 2 hours ago
F1 boss 'in early talks' to SELL 25 percent of team
- 3 hours ago
Will F1 hopeful Antonelli replace Sargeant from Imola?
- Today 12:58
F1 News Today: Hamilton dealt major Newey blow as Red Bull chief makes BRUTAL admission
- Today 12:04
F1 Standings
Drivers
- Oliver Bearman
- Charles Leclerc
- Carlos Sainz
- Lando Norris
- Oscar Piastri
- Pierre Gasly
- Esteban Ocon
- Sergio Pérez
- Max Verstappen
- Alexander Albon
- Logan Sargeant
- Lewis Hamilton
- George Russell
- Nico Hülkenberg
- Kevin Magnussen
- Fernando Alonso
- Lance Stroll
- Valtteri Bottas
- Zhou Guanyu
- Daniel Ricciardo
- Yuki Tsunoda
Races
- Gulf Air Grand Prix of Bahrain 2024
- Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Australia 2024
- MSC Cruises Grand Prix of Japan 2024
- Grand Prix of China 2024
- Miami Grand Prix 2024
- Gran Premio dell'Emilia Romagna 2024
- Grand Prix of Monaco 2024
- Grand Prix du Canada 2024
- Gran Premio de España 2024
- Grand Prix of Austria 2024
- Grand Prix of Great Britain 2024
- Grand Prix of Hungary 2024
- Grand Prix of Belgium 2024
- Heineken Dutch Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Italy 2024
- Grand Prix of Azerbaijan 2024
- Grand Prix of Singapore 2024
- Grand Prix of the United States 2024
- Gran Premio de la Ciudad de Mexico 2024
- Grande Prêmio de São Paulo 2024
- Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix 2024
- Qatar Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi 2024
About GPFans
GPFans is a multi-platform, multi-language brand dedicated to Formula One coverage. We bring you all the ins and outs of the sport, 24/7, everything from up-to-the-minute news and features to the latest viral stories and clips.We believe that a new generation of exciting, outspoken drivers will make F1 more popular than ever before, and we want to give our users access to as much of their heroes as possible, on and off the track. From Lewis Hamilton to Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo to Sebastian Vettel, we provide in-depth analysis of every every Grand Prix in the season, from Australia to Abu Dhabi.
With Formula One under the new ownership of Liberty Media, how the sport is being covered is evolving, and GPFans will look to be at the heart of this progression into new media, as one of the fastest-growing sites covering the king of motorsports.
Follow us on your favorite social media channel
Corporate & Media
Innovatieweg 20C7007 CD, Doetinchem, Netherlands
+31645516860