Ferrari aims for victory but with an eye towards 2018
The two Ferrari drivers are rather satisfied with their first day of testing at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. They reasonably believe they can fight for the victory and are already testing some solutions for next year.
With the best time during the first practice session, Sebastian Vettel immediately put pressure on Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton.
The German seems confident in his competitiveness, especially since Ferrari has even tested a few new features for the upcoming season: « It was a good day. The car and its balance were good, and I think we are very close. If we can make our usual leap forward on Saturday and improve the car a little, then it will be a good day. But I don’t think we need to overdo it. We also tried some things with a view to next season. »
A victory in the last race of 2017 could well launch the 2018 season under the best auspices, and Vettel firmly believes it: « We are ready for next season. But now, we have to win this last race. Because the better the result, the better the team’s atmosphere will be. »
For his part, Kimi Räikkönen, somewhat behind his teammate, is nonetheless satisfied with his day as well: « On Fridays, we always try to improve the car’s settings. Of course, there are still things to improve. There is still work to be done, but it’s always the same story. Today, it wasn’t easy to do a perfect lap. In some sectors, the car was good, and in others, it was more difficult, » the Finn concluded.
