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Vettel 'not worried' after seeing rival cars

Published on 23 Feb 2018 10:32
8
By: Fergal Walsh

Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel says that he is not worried about the upcoming season following the launch of its 2018 car. The Scuderia outfit launched its new challenger on Thursday, the same day as Mercedes.

And like Mercedes' offering, the new and even redder single seater is clearly an evolution of the 2017 car.
Four-time champion Vettel said: "Mercedes remains the reference, but I do not think we are in the outsider role."

But the German said it is too early to say which of the other cars that have been launched may also be contenders in 2018: "Clearly you look at the presentations of the other cars and ask the designers for their opinion," said Vettel.

"But it's still difficult to judge. The quality and angle of the photos plays a big role, so I will only form a first judgement in the tests. But so far I can say that I have not seen anything in the others that makes me worried."

F1 News Sebastian Vettel Mercedes Ferrari

Replies (8)

ajpennypacker

Posts: 2,475
What he should worry about is his own weakness of character and meltdowns on track... it would be a shame for Ferrari fans to see another prime opportunity summarily thrown in the trash
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- Feb 23 2018 - 16:45
- mpm001
  
  Posts: 20
  yes and lets here about your accomplishments in life before you spew your mouth about people who are probably more successful then you.
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  Feb 23 2018 - 18:02
- calle.itw
  
  Posts: 8,527
  @MPM001 I think you miss the point. Criticism doesnt mean you are better, it means that you see things that can be improved. A game critic doesnt need to be a good game developer. I dont agree with APENNYJACKER's opinion on Vettel, IMO I find him to be the most accomplished current driver on the grid, certainly better than hype boi Hammy, but criticism, as long as its valid and not something like "lol u suk" should be something good.
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  Feb 23 2018 - 18:56
- calle.itw
  
  Posts: 8,527
  For an example: I've widely criticized Abiteboul for lying, McLaren for talking the talk but not walking the walk, McLaren's livery for 2018, Hamilton's behaviour on and off track, and the Honda minimizing their engine further for 2017 instead of focusing on adding more power. That doesnt mean Im more honest than Abiteboul (but I am), that Im all walk but no talk, that Im better at designing a livery than McLaren, that Im better behaved than Hamilton on and off road, or that I know what a PU manufacturer should prioritize better than the biggest engine manufacturer in the world. Those are my opinions, my criticism if you will. And that fine. You dont need to be competent in the subjects you critique. It can help, but you can more often than not come with good criticisms despite not being good at the subjects yourself.
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  Feb 23 2018 - 19:01
- ajpennypacker
  
  Posts: 2,475
  @MPM001 Seems like I hurt your feelings, I'll try to be more sensitive next time. For clarification @calle I am not dimissing Vettel previous accomplishments. I'm referring to last year, where he was clearly the best driver the first half of the season. He often had the best car. But I think most would agree that his errors cost him a chance of fighting Lewis to the last race. Yes, they had reliability problems, but let's not forget Sebastian had a 30+ point lead over Lewis at one point. Anyway, I appreciate you stating what's blatantly obvious for @MPM001's benefit... that if everyone needed to be an expert to critique (or by the same logic, to compliment), nobody here would be qualified to comment.
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  Feb 23 2018 - 19:58
- calle.itw
  
  Posts: 8,527
  Fair enough, but remember that in an era where you only have 4 units until you start at the back of the grid, 30 points isnt much at all. As soon as reliability begun to deteriorate, along with Ferrari losing the ability to burn oil, the timer had begun.
  
  As for the criticism bit (just a fun thought): If I were to take a blood donour needle on monday, and just shove it right through one of my donours' arms, would I be able to get away with it by saying that the donour cant criticise my technique if it doesnt work in healthcare? >;D
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  Feb 23 2018 - 20:39
boudy

Posts: 1,168
So their engineers can judge if the somebody's else their design aspect is better than theirs .... by photo's? Must be misunderstanding something here. Surely they would go for the best design themselves. Anyway lots of aeroparts are not visible so the remark is really more of a side note. What's more interesting is that he made the remark .
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- Feb 23 2018 - 22:43
calle.itw

Posts: 8,527
The last bit could actually be good news, because if the drivers cant spot some fishy designs, it means that Mercedes hasnt found a loophole to become even more dominant. Well, at least not on the chassis side of things. Lets see if they can burn oil in another way. With the amount of oil burning they've done so far, you'd think they'd get along really well with BP. You know, common hobbies bringing people together.
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- Feb 23 2018 - 23:11