Melbourne win “doesn’t mean much” – Vettel

2017 Australian Grand Prix

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Ferrari’s victory in the opening race of 2017 isn’t necessarily a sign of a more successful season ahead, warns Sebastian Vettel.

The world championship leader said his Australian Grand Prix victory was a deserved reward for the team’s efforts in the off-season but cautioned that it was too early to make predictions about the rest of the year.

2017 Australian Grand Prix in pictures
“I think for everyone back in Italy, in Maranello, it was great to get a little bit of a reward after such a long winter, a lot of hard work that went into the new car,” he said ahead of this weekend’s race in China.

“When I came back to the factory people were generally very happy and motivated to push even harder which obviously is what we need. It’s just the first race, it doesn’t mean much, but for sure it’s the best way to start off.”

Ferrari endured a win-less campaign in 2016 and Vettel says his team are more focused now.

“A lot of things have changed since last year,” he said. “The team has evolved.”

“Generally I’m in a much better position, people are more comfortable throughout the whole team. The work that’s going in is a lot more targeted. Overall we’re more confident with the way we work now. Hopefully we can keep up that trend to show it also on the track.”

However believes their 2016 season was not as poor as some have made out. “It wasn’t that bad last year. It wasn’t the best year we’ve had but still I think we had a decent amount of podiums.”

“We had a lot of races where things were not going our way but that’s how it goes sometimes. Maybe my memory is wrong but I remember it better than people make out of it now.”

“It wasn’t the season we wanted to have, after one race it’s easy to say this season is better than last year but it’s only one race.”

2017 Australian Grand Prix

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    Keith Collantine
    Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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    15 comments on “Melbourne win “doesn’t mean much” – Vettel”

    1. Looks like still Ferrari keeping the tight lipped approach don’t talk don’t hype just do the talking on track.

    2. Since I have never driven a F1 car or run a F1 team I will not criticize any drivers or teams.

    3. He is right to say it like this, if he didn’t make the undercut he probably wouldn’t have won…. It’s very tight and I hope it will stay this tight over the season

      1. He didn’t make the undercut.

    4. Fudge Kobayashi (@)
      6th April 2017, 11:48

      I have a good feeling the Ferrari will be kinder on its tyres and offer great race pace season wide but as long as Mercedes keep sticking it on pole they will always be on the back foot.

    5. Exactly. All Merc need to do is lock out the front row. Then, if they are challenged by Ferrari’s pace, they can just use car No. 2 as a blocker (especially if overtaking continues to be as difficult as in Aus and there remain fewer pit stops to implement an undercut/overcut).

      1. ^Meant as reply to @offdutyrockstar

        1. Fudge Kobayashi (@)
          6th April 2017, 12:18

          Indeed. I would really like to know what’s so special about this qualifying mode the Mercs have that the other teams have been unable to find an answer for.

          1. Isn’t it just that it’s a darn good car especially in clean air, that some feel, and have been feeling for a while now, is also harmed more in dirty air due to it’s greater preference for clean air? The Mercs are designed to be out front and suffer more when they’re not. I suggest the RBR, in spite of Newey’s ability to shape air, is more basic so that there are less air shapers to be negated when in dirty air and therefore it is less disturbed when following a car.

            1. @robbie
              Well Hamilton was out front in Australia and he couldn’t pull away or make his tyres last longer than Vettel’s…

      2. With the new tyres this strategy cant work, especially with the Ferrari’s that can follow a car closely and not lose performance as seen in Australia.

        For this strategy to work you will have to build a pit stop gap, as Ferrari can use car no 2 as a blocker as well when the leading Mercedes makes it out of the pits!

    6. However believes their 2016 season was not as poor as some have made out

      I didn’t know However has joined Ferrari. Does However have no.1 status over “But” and “Although” ;) :P

      1. Obviously, for sure.

    7. I think this year following will difficult with the new aero…i think qualifying will be key…ferrari is much closer to merc if not level with it engine wise…generally merc engines r reliable as well…now only the tires,development thru the year and luck matters…but yeah wish ferrari can take the crown with kimi :)

      1. Vettel certainly did not waste any time asserting himself as #1 in the team.. Kimi was nowhere in comparison.

        Bottas atleast was faster than struggling Hamilton in the race.

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