Ferrari: Vettel, like a cat in the night
Starting from pole position and leading from start to finish, Sebastian Vettel delivered a flawless performance this Sunday and secured a masterful victory in the Singapore night race. Less conspicuous than his teammate, Kimi Räikkönen still celebrated with champagne on the podium.
Sebastian Vettel therefore claims his third victory of the season, the third also for Ferrari this season. The German, having started from pole position, secured an uncontestable victory: « It was an incredible race today, in fact, our entire weekend was incredible and it’s hard for me to sum it up now. The race was long and intense; Daniel put a bit of pressure on me, [with the Red Bull] we were the two fastest cars today, but I was able to control the pace and take care of the tires. (…) Today, we are in paradise, but we know there is still a long way to go. »
With a 49-point lead over Sebastian Vettel, Lewis Hamilton still has a comfortable margin to maneuver at the top of the championship. Mathematically, however, the four-time world champion can still dream of a fifth title, especially if Mercedes confirms their poor form in Japan: « It was surprising to see that the Mercedes weren’t in the rhythm this weekend » admits Vettel. « We don’t know why, but to be honest, we’re not paying attention to it. (…) For the next race, we will push 100%. As long as we have a chance, we will push, we have to do everything we can. »
Since his return to Ferrari, Kimi Räikkönen had only secured one podium. The third place for the Finn, in the shadow of his brilliant teammate, doesn’t completely satisfy him: « My feelings are mixed: I’m happy to be third, given that Saturday was complicated due to the grip and the car’s behavior in the corners. But I’m a bit disappointed not to have been able to fight for a better position. Today I knew it wouldn’t be easy: it was a thorny race. With new tires, I was able to follow Daniel [Ricciardo, 2nd in the race] easily, but then I started to have the same problems as the day before, and I wasn’t able to be fast enough to try to catch him. »
Maurizio Arrivabene had set a goal of three victories this season for Ferrari: the total was achieved in Singapore this Sunday. Enough to bring a smile to the head of Scuderia: « It’s fantastic for Seb, who yesterday delivered an incredible qualifying lap, which reminded me of the greatest champions of the past. (…) Kimi’s third place clearly demonstrated how important and effective our development work was.
