VETTEL: Car just doesn't suit me | FerrariChat

VETTEL: Car just doesn't suit me

Discussion in 'F1' started by freshmeat, Sep 25, 2014.

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  1. freshmeat

    freshmeat F1 Veteran

    Aug 30, 2011
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    flame suit on. bring on the heat fan boys!

    From Autosport
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    Sebastian Vettel now has no doubt that his driving style simply does not suit the characteristics of the 2014 Red Bull Formula 1 car.

    The German has made good progress in recent weeks with understanding the RB10, and achieved his best result of the season with second place at the Singapore Grand Prix.

    Having changed chassis repeatedly in recent months to rule out other factors, Vettel is convinced his style is just incompatible with this year's design.

    "Every time I want to push or make something happen, it just doesn't," said Vettel, who is 57 points adrift of team-mate Daniel Ricciardo in the standings.

    "I think it is a characteristic of this year's car in combination with the downforce we have, with the tyres. It just maybe doesn't give me yet what I want in a certain area of the corner.


    "That is not an excuse, because in the end I have to get the best out of the car. We've done a lot of progress but there is a lot we can do better."

    Vettel's problems are partly to do with the way the car rotates on corner entry, but he has also lost some advantage he had from recent years in exploiting the blown diffuser concept - which produced more downforce at the rear of the car.

    The need to make up more time in corners due to Renault's power deficit and increased tyre wear caused by his discomfort with the car's handling exacerbate his difficulties.

    Asked if these problems were forcing him to drive under the limit at times, Vettel replied: "Yes. Obviously you drive the way you think is quickest, whether that means you have to hold back or you have to push, it depends on the situation.

    "It is not that straightforward this year and it is not always consistent, so that is the tricky bit."

    Vettel admitted it may not be until Red Bull's 2015 car is out that he is able to get back to his best.

    Pushed on whether he expected to overcome his issues imminently, Vettel said: "Short term for sure not, because we would have fixed it already.

    "I think ultimately as a driver you would love to go faster but obviously it is different this year.

    "I think we got in a lot better shape in the last couple of races but there are still some things where we are a little bit too much on the edge."


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  2. Ferraripilot

    Ferraripilot F1 World Champ
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    Identical situation for Schumacher at Mercedes. It happens. When a driver doesn't jive with the car 100%, stuff doesn't happen. Vettel is a great driver and once he's in a more capable car he will show his form again.
     
  3. kraftwerk

    kraftwerk Two Time F1 World Champ

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    Vet is good I have no doubt, just how good that is I am beginning to question.

    Example, could Alonso or Hamilton drive round this problem.

    Or is Ricci just that good.
     
  4. freshmeat

    freshmeat F1 Veteran

    Aug 30, 2011
    7,257
    Not really identical, because his partner Nico wasn't doing that great either. car was really dogsh!et and both also have very different driving styles.
     
  5. itschris

    itschris Formula 3

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    Doubtful. They certainly aren't able to outdrive their problems now or before. The one thing I think impacts his current situation is lack of seat time. He's missed a ton of practice and race laps. I think that's critical. He's obviously improving and getting the car where he wants to be so I think given his misfortunes throughout the season, he'd be a lot further ahead then where he is now.
     
  6. Mulehead

    Mulehead Formula Junior

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    Schumi hates understeer and with sebs pace in the wet I bet he's the same . Micheal had trouble keeping heat in the front tires . The ferrari is built around Fred who loves understeer and he puts a lot of heat in the fronts on turn in . Schumi kimi and seb are using the rear end to help turn the car at apex of the corner . That's why Fred not good in the wet he can't get the car to turn
     
  7. GrigioGuy

    GrigioGuy Splenda Daddy
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    "The Best Drivers In The World" we keep hearing.

    If you're that good, adapt. Otherwise, admit that the car was the actual force behind your prior domination. Frankly, half the grid could be champion in any particular year, if they happened to be in the right car. Case in point, Rosberg.
     
  8. Mon the fish

    Mon the fish Karting

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    Jim Clark won in everything he drove.
     
  9. kraftwerk

    kraftwerk Two Time F1 World Champ

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    I agree and that is basically what I was hinting at in my prior post.

    Regards Nico, I'll get my coat, I do not want to bash the guy, but again I tend to agree.
     
  10. kraftwerk

    kraftwerk Two Time F1 World Champ

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    I agree to an extent, he has beaten Hamilton in the bad luck department this year, I think.

    Ham now leading the WDC after endless set backs, Alonso well he is driving above the cars ability IMO.
     
  11. crinoid

    crinoid F1 Veteran
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    Is it the team RedBull product that doesn't suit him or is it the current formula that doesn't suit him????
     
  12. Ferraripilot

    Ferraripilot F1 World Champ
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    Probably a bit of both.
     
  13. Aircon

    Aircon Ten Time F1 World Champ
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    I fixed your post for you :)
     
  14. 308luver

    308luver Formula Junior

    May 4, 2006
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    I agree. I really think the preseason is what hurt him the most. Ricci's car held up and appears to have been set up with his info/data/feedback.

    I think Ricci has looked fantastic this year, unlike previous years, and I think some of that has to do with being with better engineers who, since vettel was DNS, built the car around him as that's all they had to go by.

    That being said its disappointing he hasn't done better however I a lot of things havent gone his way this year( tire strats, engine woes etc...) That have gone ricci's way. One could argue ricci has had the most luck this year even with the DQ in the first race.
     
  15. itschris

    itschris Formula 3

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    Its been said time and time again that these cars are about nuance. So let's just say he used to have the perfect car... well fine. He either trained his driving to it or he was somehow magically born with the ability to drive that car... it doesn't really matter. I just believe it's a lot harder to untrain then retrain, than it is to progress to something.

    Bottom line, however, he's a 4x world champion and needs to adapt. But I believe he is adapting and getting the car working the way he needs it. I just also think that that it takes seat time to flesh out those nuances that make the difference between 5th/6th and 1st/2nd type finishes. Give that seat time back and I think we'd have seen better results sooner.

    The only thing I really reject is the idea that "oh... you could put one of the safety workers in his car and he would've won too." That kind of crap is just stupid. I think another big difference is that Ham just really likes his car and the way it drives. I remember reading at the beginning of the year where he was saying that he didn't really notice all that much of a difference... even in the braking because Merc have the software so damn perfect. He's a great driver, in a great car, and has ability to make that great car work for him to the nth degree... I dare say it appears more so than Nico can.
     
  16. william

    william Two Time F1 World Champ
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    But I would still prefer Nico Rosberg to become WDC ...
     
  17. kraftwerk

    kraftwerk Two Time F1 World Champ

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    LOL aha thanks, I know yes Nico, he can't help it though, afterall he was born with a silver-foot in his mouth, or is it tail down under..;)
     
  18. robert_c

    robert_c F1 Rookie

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    I agree. Don't forget Button, and Kimi, and JV, and on and on. If Mercedes weren't so dominant this year, Ricciardo would be in the conversation for drivers champion.
     
  19. P.Singhof

    P.Singhof F1 Rookie

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    I think that just proves that the drivers have less and less impact on the development of the car since the test ban.
    Apart from few test days at the beginning of the season and some free practice sessions on the first day of the GP weekend there is no time to develop a car in the direction the drivers wants. During the later free practice sessions, qualifying and the race they have other things to do. So even after 8 months he did not get the car in the direction he wants as changing the characteristics of the car does not seem to be trivial.
    In another thread I was criticized for doubting that Hamilton had leading proportion on the upswing at Mercedes (in therms of the pace of the car) but this indicates that exactly. Apart from driving fast and adapting their driving style drivers have less and less inpact on the results. A car is either fast from the beginning or it has a good potential for development in small steps. They have now banned radio because the engineer knew better what is going on in the car than the actual driver, with all the sensors they have more datas than the drivers feel in their butt (what Schumacher called his "Popometer").
    Look at Alonso, he tries now for years to develop the car to a winner but it does not work, maybe it would if he was allowed to test.
    On the other side RB developed the car in the last years between the GP more because of the theoretical genius of Adrian Newey than because of the feetback from the drivers.
    So why is Ricciardo faster? I guess because he is coming from an inferior material and this gives him more possibilities now, Vettel on the other side is coming from superior material and developed his driving style in these cars in the last year. Getting back a step is sometimes more difficult.
     
  20. kraftwerk

    kraftwerk Two Time F1 World Champ

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    #20 kraftwerk, Sep 25, 2014
    Last edited: Sep 25, 2014
    Yes I can go along with that, however the highlighted bit is seemingly the crux of the matter to me, and that's where my uncertainty lies, Webber played shot gun so we can rule him out as a team mate comparison, so has Ricci just capitalized on Vets misfortune and looks great by it, or is he plain and simply a damn good top level driver.

    IMO I think he is, and he has adapted very well, or the car suits him, it's tricky to call, but as we only have team mate v team mate judgements, whatever way you look at it, Ricci's stock has risen big time.

    However at min still a little early to tell, but I would bet on Ricci being in the hunt for a WDC sometime soon, Vet needs his mojo back.
     
  21. kraftwerk

    kraftwerk Two Time F1 World Champ

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    And why exactly is that ?.

    Am curious.
     
  22. Aircon

    Aircon Ten Time F1 World Champ
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    Finally...something I can agree with you about...because you're finally right!
     
  23. Aircon

    Aircon Ten Time F1 World Champ
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    Because he doesn't have raving lunatics as fans? :)
     
  24. kraftwerk

    kraftwerk Two Time F1 World Champ

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    Oh!!! no say it aint so, But I' am wrong I just had to edit it, I would bet on Ricci being in hunt for a WDC... :eek:
     
  25. kraftwerk

    kraftwerk Two Time F1 World Champ

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    Well your name is Pete, last time I looked ..;)
     

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