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A skating rink as a rink and a missing team leader – and the Ferrari shines.
It speaks for itself under which circumstances the Scuderia achieved the best result of the season with third and fourth places at the Turkish Grand Prix.
Critics of Ferrari team boss Mattia Binotto will likely suggest that the Italian will work more often on racing weekends at Ferrari’s Maranello headquarters instead of working on the track.
The fact is that Sebastian Vettel suddenly blossomed and showed a strong performance throughout the entire weekend, which he capped off with a sensational third place in the race. (DATA CENTER: The classification of Formula 1 drivers)
Binotto then congratulated himself from home: “I’m very happy for Sebastian. I think a podium is very important for him.”
Vettel only behind Schumacher and Hamilton
With the podium, Vettel was able to keep an impressive streak up to date. It is the thirteenth consecutive season that the four-time world champion has reached the podium at least once. Only world record champions Michael Schumacher (15) and Lewis Hamilton (14) have made it more often.
But Vettel also knew that this podium was mainly due to the conditions. “It has been a difficult year, so such a placement is good. We are making progress. But it’s clear: we benefited from the conditions today,” said the German.
Leclerc, who lost 3rd place to Vettel in the last lap, does not expect the podium as a new standard: “Compared to last weekend, we had no new parts on the car. We probably coped better with the conditions than the other cars.” .
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Further results like those in Turkey would be important for the constructors’ championship, because after the strong section there, the Scuderia reached Racing Point, McLaren and Renault. Up to Racing Point in 3rd place, Ferrari is missing 24 points, Renault has only 6 more.
Vettel helps Racing Point – duel with Verstappen
If Vettel takes away points, especially McLaren and Renault, and like in Istanbul he arrives at least to the finish line behind a Racing Point driver, he will do himself a favor for 2021. Because if Racing Point defends 3rd place, the team will receive a multimillion-dollar bonus just in time for Vettel’s arrival.
Early in the race, Vettel applied for the “Employee of the Year” title at Racing Point after a rocket launch, which took him from eleventh to third. For a few laps he drove Max Verstappen behind him to despair and ensured that his future team mate Lance Stroll and Sergio Pérez were able to get by.
Vettel also knew that his exceptional start was “decisive”: “I managed to put myself in a good position”. After annoying Verstappen, he repeated this match shortly after with the now seven-time Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton.
But even the eventual winner of the race failed to get Vettel to make a mistake and said angrily: “I can’t get past it. I’m wasting so much time.” Ferrari then did Hamilton a favor, took Vettel to the pit stop and even made a mess.
Vettel is annoyed: the victory would have been possible
Since Vettel made his only mistake and, according to his own statement, was “too conservative” on the drying track, he initially fell behind Leclerc. But on the final lap, which Vettel later called “just wow”, the German pushed teammate Leclerc again.
The 33-year-old showed after the race just how passionate Vettel is still about the sport. Instead of enjoying third place in the last second after the epidemic season so far, he was also a bit annoyed.
According to him, at least second place or even victory would have been possible. There was only one lap to second place left because Pérez’s tires were completely exhausted. For a possible victory he lacked a risky decision that he should have taken against the will of his team.
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Vettel had already thought about putting the slicks on 20 laps before the end of the race, since “the track remained constant and the intermediates were completely worn”. But on the radio he had the announcement from Ferrari – as well as other drivers – that the rain would eventually return.
Vettel followed the advice, but then he also says: “I still think: we should have tried. That would have given me a chance to win.”
Formula 1 fans choose Vettel as driver of the day
It wasn’t enough to win: For Formula 1 fans, Vettel was still the driver of the day despite Hamilton’s equally impressive performance. For the second time this season, Formula 1 fans voted Vettel “Driver of the Day”.
But not the fans and Binotto praised Heppenheimer, teammate Leclerc “was also happy that he (Vettel, Anm. d. Red.) he was able to show what he is still capable of on the track. ” Sky enthusiastic about the return of the “old witch”.
In contrast to his critics, Vettel said he “never doubted that I could still get a good result”. In the last three races of the season he wants once again to “squeeze everything to get as much out as possible for himself and for the team”.
Binotto wants to do his part and has already announced that he will not even be at the two races in Bahrain. The only thing Vettel and Ferrari will probably have to do without at Sachir is the damp conditions.
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