Sebastian Vettel “not worried” after seeing rival cars. The German said it is too early to say which of the other cars that have been launched may also be contenders in 2018.

Scuderia Ferrari German driver Sebastian Vettel says that he is not worried about the upcoming season following the launch of its 2018 car. The Scuderia outfit launched its new challenger on Thursday, the same day as their main rivals Mercedes. And like Mercedes’ offering, the new and even redder single seater is clearly an evolution of the 2017 car. Four-time Formula One world champion Sebastian Vettel said: “Mercedes remains the reference, but I do not think we are in the outsider role.”

But the German said it is too early to say which of the other cars that have been launched may also be contenders in 2018: “Clearly you look at the presentations of the other cars and ask the designers for their opinion,” – Scuderia Ferrari’s German driver explained – “But it’s still difficult to judge. The quality and angle of the photos plays a big role, so I will only form a first judgement in the tests. But so far I can say that I have not seen anything in the others that makes me worried.” – Sebastian Vettel added.

Speaking about the new Scuderia Ferrari car, the SF71H, both Maranello drivers were enthusiastic about their initial impressions. Sebastian Vettel said that expectations, for now, are tempered: “Well, I think we always have some positive expectation. The amount of work that goes into a new car is immense, it’s not just the work of the winter. Work on this started quite early during last season to look after this year’s car, and this is the result. Exciting times! In terms of expectations, it’s always difficult…we’ve worked very hard and we think in the right way. The next few weeks will be very important to understand if all the things we’ve thought of start making sense. We’re confident the car will be good to drive, and I can’t wait to get a feel.” – the German driver concluded, as reported by the Italian media earlier today.