Sebastian Vettel set the pace on day one at the Circuit de Catalunya for Scuderia Ferrari, and believes the SF16-H is a step up in performance compared to its predecessor.
The German was the only driver to get beneath 1m25s on day one, but Vettel warned that lap times count for very little during testing, and its only when they arrive in Australia for the first Grand Prix that times become important.
“We had the first proper day of testing today, from which we got a first feeling from the car and the first impression is good, I think the new car is a step forward,” said Vettel.
“I felt confident enough, but we know there is still a lot of work in front of us. For sure there have been changes inside and outside the car. Laps times today are not important at all: they will be in a month’s time at the Australian Grand Prix!
“It was good to have some laps, I would have liked to have some more but it is natural that when you have something new and things you want to check you are more conscious, so you stop to have a look at them, and unfortunately this all takes time.”
