The statements made by the president of the historic world motorsport brand still reverberate in the world of Formula 1. “We have long-standing structural weaknesses, especially in the aerodynamics. In addition, we have lost power in the engine, so the reality is that our car is not competitive, “warned John Elkann, the head of Ferrari, who also indicated that they only hope to win again in 2022.
So, while Mercedes is once again the great candidate to win the constructors ‘and drivers’ title from the hand of the British Lewis Hamilton, the Maranello-based team once again had a day to be forgotten on the new date of the category. In what was the first test of the British Grand Prix at the historic Silverstone circuit, Sebastian Vettel suffered several problems that ended with an image that traveled the world of motorsport.
In what was the first run, the Ferrari driven by the German driver had engine problems. On board the SF1000 car, the four-time champion communicated by radio with his box and was clear in the message: “there is something ground,” said the four-time F1 champion to the technicians of the Italian team. Once Vettel got to the pits and put the car away, he got out and started helping the mechanics find the fault.
A short time later, it was the category itself through its social networks that communicated the inconvenience of the car driven by the German-born racer. The Prancing Horse brand had a problem with the impeller in Vettel’s drive-thru unit related to the intercooler, an item that is intended to cool the compressor air.
Already in the second part of the work on the track this Friday, the German’s Ferrari suffered a conflict in the pedals, for which he had to return to be treated by the team’s engineers. At the end of the double run, Vettel finished in 18th place, more than a second behind his teammate, the Monegasque Charles Leclerc, who closed the day’s activity in fourth place.
Beyond Vettel’s problems with his Ferrari, Day 1 of F1 action at Silverstone ended with Max Verstappen’s Red Bull and Lance Stroll’s Racing Point car as the highlights of early testing. For his part, the German driver Nico Hulkenberg, who took the place of the Mexican Checo Pérez – he tested positive for coronavirus and will miss the race weekend – completed a good debut aboard the other car called “Mercedes Rosa” and it was in the top 10 in both rankings. (GG) (TAKEN FROM INFOBAE)