Vettel: Verstappen claims were "not professional or mature"
Sebastian Vettel says his Ferrari Formula 1 team can respond on-track at this Brazilian Grand Prix to Red Bull driver Max Verstappen's "not professional or mature" comments.
After the US GP, Verstappen referenced the Italian team’s drop-off in form that coincided with an FIA technical directive on fuel flow, noting that it was “what happens when you stop cheating".
“Well I think it is a sign of our times that a lot of people have something to say,” said Vettel when quizzed at Interlagos on Verstappen’s comments. “I think the big difference to the past is a lot of people are being heard, whereas maybe before they were being ignored.
“Everybody is free to say what they want, and if that’s what he thinks, and that’s what he may think, but obviously we have a different opinion.”
Pressed on what he thought about Verstappen effectively accusing Ferrari of cheating, Vettel was more expansive.
“As I said, everybody is free to say what they want. I don’t think anybody in the team took it personal. I think it is not professional or mature, but I can also see that you [the media] are probably interested in me answering back, and I don’t have much interest in that, other to say than for us, the best way to answer is to go back to normal.
“We are not proud of how we performed in Austin on Sunday, after Saturday nobody had the need to complain. Sunday we probably struggled with more than one thing, conditions, tyres, set-up, which are things we need to work [on].
“But again, live and let live, so if that’s what he thinks, that’s what he thinks. If next week he thinks something different, in the end, we don’t care so much.”
Vettel insisted that Ferrari’s straightline performance in Austin wasn’t due to a drop-off in power subsequent to the technical directive.
“No, we didn’t lose any power in the engine. I think we opted to run a bit more downforce than other people. In quali, the comparison was quite clear that we gained a little bit on the straights, not as much as usual, but we didn’t lose as much as usual in the corners, obviously they go hand-in-hand.
“Obviously I wasn’t taking part in much of the race, but for Charles [Leclerc] we didn’t have the pace that we normally have, but I know it is not for that reason. There are other things that made a difference and played a role which we are looking to understand.”
Vettel added that he doesn’t see Brazil as a specific opportunity to silence the critics with a strong performance.
“I don’t need to be, there is nothing to silence for me. But I guess it helps, I mean we want to win here and if we win one-two, I guess it would have a silencing effect as well on that front.
“So, maybe it is a nice side effect, but it is not our target is not to silence people, our target is to win races.”
Asked in Brazil if he had gone too far in his comments on Ferrari, Verstappen said: “I prefer not to comment on it. I think it’s much more important we look ahead and focus on the last two races, and just fight it out on track.”
No newer-spec ICE for Leclerc
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari SF90
Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images
Vettel's teammate Charles Leclerc will take a grid penalty in Brazil, with Ferrari having elected to install a replacement current-spec ICE in his car after a failure in practice at COTA left him with an older specification for qualifying and the race.
According to Leclerc, the penalty should be limited to only 10 places on the grid, with no plans to fit any other replacement components over the season limit besides the ICE.
"Obviously this weekend won’t be easy with the 10 places [of] grid penalty,” Leclerc said. “But I believe this was the best opportunity for us for the rest of the championship, so [we'll] try to limit the damage as much as possible this weekend and try to do the best as possible, then we will see the advantages of changing the engine in Abu Dhabi.
“Overall I think it will be a plus, whether it will be in qualifying or the race. I think it’s pretty similar, but there will be an advantage overall.
“There is more to gain by changing the engine, with the older one, we have seen in Austin – it was not all of it, but there was probably a little bit of it inside the results – and I’m pretty sure this will help us to get results.”
Leclerc confirmed that the new V6 is of the same spec as its immediate predecessor, contrary to suggestions that Ferrari might take the opportunity to try out an upgrade with an eye on 2020.
“Basically the phone call I had was [that] we are putting the same engine spec as the one we’ve lost in Austin. I don’t think there was any discussion, at least not with me for this possibility.
“The engine is exactly the same one as the one we had issues with in Austin, so nothing new on that. It will only be a new one because the old one cannot be used anymore.”
Previous article
Retro: The day Hakkinen “kicked Senna’s ass” at McLaren
Next article
FIA asks for teams' oil details in latest engine saga twist
About this article
| Series | Formula 1 |
| Drivers | Sebastian Vettel , Max Verstappen |
| Teams | Scuderia Ferrari |
| Author | Adam Cooper |
The defining traits that set F1’s best apart
What makes the very best drivers in Formula 1 stand out among what is already a highly elite bunch? Andrew Benson takes a closer look at those with the special blend of skill, judgment, feel and attitude that sets only a select few apart from the rest.
The updates Williams hopes will lead to a point-scoring return
After producing a car which demonstrated progress but lacked the points to prove it last year, Williams starts its new era of team ownership with the FW43B, its bid to continue the climb up the Formula 1 grid in 2021
How Ferrari plans to recover from its 2020 F1 nightmare
The 2020 Formula 1 season was Ferrari's worst for 40 years as it slumped to sixth in the standings. A repeat performance will not be acceptable for the proud Italian team, which has adopted a notably pragmatic approach to forging its path back to the top
Why Aston Martin’s arrival is more than just new green livery
In the most eagerly anticipated Formula 1 team launch of the season, the rebranded Aston Martin squad’s changes go much further than the striking paint job. But rather than a restart, the team hopes to build on top of solid foundations.
The car Aston Martin begins its new F1 journey with
The team formerly known as Racing Point gambled successfully on a Mercedes look-alike in 2020 as it mounted a strong challenge for third in the constructors' race and won the Sakhir GP. Now clothed in British racing green, Aston Martin's first Formula 1 challenger since 1960 provides the clearest indicator yet of what to expect from the new-for-2021 regulations
The tricky driver conundrums facing Mercedes in F1 2021
Ahead of the new Formula 1 season, reigning world champions Mercedes will take on challenges both old and new. This also can be said for its driver conundrum which could become key to sustaining its ongoing success...
How Alpine's cure to 2021 F1 rules starts at the front
A new name, new faces and new colours pulls the rebranded Alpine Formula 1 team into a new era while carrying over core elements of its 2020 car. But under the surface there's more than meets the eye with the A521 which hints at how the team will tackle 2021...
Can Mercedes' W12 retain the team's crown?
Replacing Formula 1's fastest car was never going to be an easy feat for Mercedes. Amid the technical rule tweaks to peg back the W12 and its 2021 rivals, the new Mercedes challenger will remain the target to beat
