Vettel: We were very strong in Valencia but need to confirm it at Silverstone
6 July, 2012
Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber pose for photographers at Silverstone with the Wings for Life paint scheme on the Red Bull RB8
Jul.6 (F1 Media) World champion Sebastian Vettel has said that there is no guarantee that the superior speed which the Red Bull RB8 showed at the recent European Grand Prix in Valencia will translate to similar pace for the British Grand Prix at Silverstone.
In Valencia a fortnight ago, Vettel landed pole position with a lap almost half a second quicker than anyone else, and in the race was quick enough to open a 10-second gap over the chasing pack in the first stint of the grand prix.
Vettel’s dominance ended with an alternator failure after 33 laps, but the fear for Red Bull Racing’s rivals is that the team will be even quicker at high-speed Silverstone, especially in light of the fact that it is expected to bring more updates this weekend. Vettel, though, warned against such an expectation.
“I would be very careful with that [thinking],” he said today. “We had a good race in Valencia and we seemed to be able to make a difference straight away. This is a new track, a different track and has different characteristics. We will have to confirm the feeling we had in Valencia, the pace. Also rain is on the way. It should be a challenging weekend for everybody.
“I think we did a step forward [in Valencia], we were very competitive,” he admitted. “Everything just seemed to work. We felt comfortable from the first session onwards, up to the point where we had the failure and had to stop. That can make a big difference to the whole weekend if you find an extra tenth or two. If you take those tenths away then it might look completely different again. We had a very strong weekend but we need to confirm it here.”
Vettel said, however, that he is looking forward to the British Grand Prix and said it is a circuit he enjoys.
“I won in 2009 and it was very emotional,” he said. “So hopefully we can get back to that level. The crowd here is extremely fair. Obviously they’re cheering for the British drivers, which everyone can understand, but they are very fair and they respect and appreciate if someone else has a good race. So, all in all, I’m looking forward to the weekend despite the weather forecast.”
Reuters reports that, at Silverstone, Vettel denied suggesting that there had been a deliberate move to prevent him running away with the race in Spain after the safety car was deployed while he enjoyed a 20 second plus lead, but was clearly still unhappy and of the opinion that the racing could have continued safely.
“I said in my point of view it was not necessary, but I am not making the decision, the race director is making the decision,” he said. “When they decide to bring it out they consider it to be necessary and we accept it.
“But we had had pieces of debris on the track before and nothing happened, then we had a couple more…”
On a lighter note Vettel pointed out, “I was born in July so it could be a good month. There is more pressure in July now. I tried hard, it didn’t work in the past but maybe it will work this year. If it happens I will be very happy. If it doesn’t, hopefully I can try again – in July.”
Related posts:
- Valencia Practice 2: Vettel fastest, but midfield teams showing strongly
- Valencia Practice 1: Maldonado fastest chased closely by Red Bulls
- FIA preview the European Grand Prix in Valencia
- Vettel and Webber targeting strong weekend in Barcelona
- Vettel tests Silverstone spec car in Valencia
