The inconsistency of the tires frustrates Vettel

The preseason tests concluded last week with the final days of running at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona. Many drivers have pointed out the high degradation of the new tires produced by Pirelli, and their inconsistency has not allowed some to truly assess the qualities of their car.

Sebastian Vettel, for example, expressed concern about the performance of his tires: « Summarizing the three test periods we conducted, I would say we were all limited by what the tires allowed us to do. »

This situation has obviously handicapped the triple world champion and his team, who were unable to complete their entire planned program: « We couldn’t check all the boxes we would have liked, and the last two days of testing weren’t up to what we were hoping for. It was very difficult to find the right settings and to know which direction to take with the car because the tires were simply not good enough. It is very difficult to determine a specific area for improvement because the tires are not consistent enough. »

The German champion also cannot position himself against the competition, particularly the Mercedes, which finished on top during the last two days of testing: « We have seen the lap times, but it is not clear at all right now. It is difficult to know which types of tires can allow you to take a step forward. »

Vettel remains confident and plans to use the ten days leading up to the first Grand Prix in Australia to find satisfactory solutions with his team. Despite everything, there is still a little time before the start of the season…