Vettel eager to see how Ferrari compare to Mercedes

Sebastian Vettel is confident that the 2020 Ferrari Formula 1 entry is stronger than it's predecessor, but admits that this will mean nothing if the SF1000 cannot compete with Mercedes.

When pre-season testing finished in Barcelona, Ferrari appeared to be some way off the pace of championship rivals Mercedes, but Vettel would not be drawn on how the two teams compare - fuel load and engine mode variables being enough to skew any assessment.

“I think testing is always inconclusive," said Vettel. "You never know where you are, and that’s the good thing about coming here and finally getting going and racing.

“I think testing, not a lot, but has it’s nice sides and aspects, but really racing is what it’s about, so as I said, it’s nice to come here and find out where you are.”

Asked whether the SF1000 is an improvement on the SF90, Vettel added, “It is, but I think that is probably true for everyone. That’s the idea of having a new car.

"Obviously, learning from the experiences of the year before, so I think it’s probably true to say that everybody has got a better car this year, but it always depends where you are relative to the others.

“Our car is doing what we expected. It is a step forward. It feels better, but ultimately it matters where you are next to all of the others.”

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