Sebastian Vettel already focused on Monza: "We shouldn't be afraid of any circuit"

Scuderia Ferrari German driver Sebastian Vettel was a little bit disappointed with the outcome of the 2017 Belgian Grand Prix after blowing his one and only opportunity to pass main title rival Lewis Hamilton on the safety car restart at the Spa-Francorchamps track and eventually had to settle for second place. The Maranello team’s driver felt he was too close to the Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team racer approaching Eau Rouge, and despite a slight lift, he lost some of the momentum he had and could only draw alongside his rival before sliding back in behind him for the remainder of the afternoon.

Sebastian Vettel admitted he was surprised to be able to remain in touch with Lewis Hamilton during the entire race in Belgium, and he feels that this result, coupled with the one-two finish for Scuderia Ferrari at the previous race, the 2017 Hungarian Grand Prix, shows that the Italian team should not be afraid of any type of track, as well as the fact that they should expect to be fighting at the front of the field everywhere: ‘If we had ended up ahead in qualifying, then we would have had a good pace to stay in front today! I was surprised how close I could follow through the whole race.” – the four-time Formula One world champion explained, as reported by the Italian media.

“So I am a bit angry at myself, because, when the race restarted after the safety car, I was probably too close to Lewis out of Turn 1. I tried to open the gap down Eau Rouge but it’s a difficult compromise. You see the cars coming behind and you know that you need to defend, instead of focusing on attacking. At the same time I know that down the straights we are not as quick as Mercedes. So, I am not entirely happy, but after all it has been a great weekend for the team. We do not need to be afraid of any circuit, I believe we have the best car in terms of package. There is still something missing but the guys in Maranello are very motivated. I think we have done the biggest improvement and a big step forward. Now we turn the page on and move on to Monza: let’s see what happens there.” – Scuderia Ferrari German driver Sebastian Vettel concluded.