Vettel wary of Bahrain's little margin for error

Sebastian Vettel says that the Bahrain International Circuit's desert surroundings make the margin for error small throughout a Grand Prix weekend.

The middle-eastern country hosts the second round of the 2019 championship this weekend, as Ferrari looks to bounce back from a disappointing result in Australia.

The Scuderia outfit couldn't keep up with rivals Mercedes at Albert Park, but is confident that changes it has made will have a positive impact this weekend.

Speaking from a driver's perspective, Vettel described that the base difficulty of the circuit is "normal", but the surrounding sand can make for a tricky ride.

“From a driver’s point of view, I would describe the level of difficulty for this circuit as basically ‘normal’," the four-time world champion said.

"However, it is hard to find the right rhythm in the desert, mainly because of the sand that the wind blows onto the track. Therefore every lap is different, which can be a decisive factor, especially in qualifying.

"If you move just a few inches off the ideal line, you start to slide and you can throw your lap in the bin, because you just can’t make up the time you lose at this point.

"Therefore, the rate of mistakes is significantly higher than at other circuits. You need to be patient before overtaking, maybe waiting for the driver in front of you to have a small slide.

"There are two very good overtaking opportunities: at the first corner and at corner 14, after the long straight”.

Vettel's teammate Charles Leclerc made his debut at Bahrain two years ago in Formula 2, producing a sensational drive to chop back through the field in the final laps to win.

The Monegasque driver is hoping that he can bring a strong result home for Ferrari, after finishing fifth two weeks ago. 

"I started here in Formula 2 and had some great races, although last year was a little bit harder as I was just at the beginning of my career in Formula 1. I can’t wait to race there with Ferrari, hopefully bringing home a good result”.