After setting the third fastest time on Thursday at Jerez, the third day of the four-day pre-season test session, Vettel said that the results are encouraging.
“It’s been two months since we were in the car, so it does take a couple of laps to get back in the rhythm, but the car feels fine and as we expected,” the double world champion said.
Asked about the grip of the car, Vettel explained:
“There’s quite a loss of grip due to the regulation changes, but you get used to it quickly and then start to explore how the new car feels. So far we can be happy – we had a couple of issues, but that’s normal when the car is new.”
“If you take the cars from last year and the year before they were basically built around the rear with the double diffuser in 2010 and the blown exhaust last year. That is almost completely gone this year. Yes, we still have an exhaust, but it is almost irrelevant. You realize that when braking, when accelerating and when going into the corners.”
Mark Webber was in action the first two days of the test, and Vettel took over Thursday and will complete the test later today.
