Scuderia Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel is eager to get back behind the wheel of the SF1000 this weekend, in his final season at the Formula 1 team, as the season resumes in Austria.
It’s been 109 days since the 2020 season was cancelled, due to the coronavirus outbreak, as proceedings were about to get under way in Melbourne. Whilst Vettel found the break enjoyable at the beginning, the four-time champion feels now is the right time for normal service to resume.
The Red Bull Ring has proven to be a strong track for the Ferraris, with both Vettel and Charles Leclerc finishing in the top four last time out in 2019. It’s a very fast circuit, something which Vettel enjoys.
Ahead of the weekend, the German said, “I’m ready to give it my all, even if it won’t be the same without the fans there supporting us. The Austrian track is like a carousel that goes round really quickly but I like it a lot, especially as it is high in the mountains which I love.”
The pre-season testing saw the pace of the Ferrari drop to half a second behind the Mercedes on the straights at Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya. Vettel expressed that the team was optimistic, yet realistic in the expectations of the pace at the Spielburg circuit.
He said: “We have to be realistic when it comes to the pecking order seen at the tests, but we are not downhearted. It will also be unusual doing two races in a row here as for the second one we will have a lot of data to work with. What we do in the first weekend will have an important effect on the second.”
Team Principal Mattia Binotto announced that fans wouldn’t see any real upgrades to the Ferraris until at least mid-July when the championship visits Budapest’s Hungaroring for the third race of the season.
