Vettel and Ferrari powerless against Red Bull and Mercedes
Sebastian Vettel started from fifth on the grid at the Hungarian Grand Prix. Successfully overtaking in the pits, the German driver finally brought his Ferrari to the finish in fourth place, not far from Daniel Riccardo in his Red Bull.
Fifth on the grid, Sebastian Vettel, starting behind Verstappen, managed to gain a place on the driver during pit stops to take the podium spot from the Dutchman. *I think the car was good. In terms of pace, we were not on the level of the Mercedes, who were in their own category, but we were just behind [Red Bull]*.
The second early stop of Daniel Ricciardo made the Ferrari driver hopeful for gaining an additional place, but in vain. The older tires of the Australian driver allowed Vettel to close in on the driver of the Austrian team. “I think we were probably half a second to a second faster at the end, he [Ricciardo] started to lose his tires and make small mistakes, but it wasn’t enough to pass. We had the pace to show on the podium, but it’s clear that if you’re in front, you can be quite aggressive, Red Bull was, and there was no way to get ahead.”
Finally, the Scuderia driver had to settle for a fourth-place finish in a Grand Prix where overtaking was rare, mainly due to the Hungarian track configuration being not conducive to overtaking: « I think we were faster but it’s Hungary, and you have to be more than just a little faster. » further specifies Vettel.
When asked about his vehemence on the radio regarding blue flags not being respected quickly enough, the four-time world champion responds: “At the moment, you complain because you feel like you’re losing more time than others.” But he tempers: “You also have to respect the fact that they are also racing, and I believe they are trying to do their best, but obviously the nature of the track doesn’t help.”
The teams are now heading towards Hockenheim before starting the summer break, which marks the middle of the season.
