F1’s Sebastian Vettel riled by suggestion his stock has fallen at Ferrari

REGGIO EMILIA, Italy — Sebastian Vettel is no for a longer time the most important gentleman at Ferrari but the German, a four-instances earth winner, does not take that his inventory has waned.

Beaten on details, wins, poles and podiums last yr by his 22-yr-old Monegasque teammate Charles Leclerc, Vettel will begins the new season in Australia subsequent thirty day period with the pairing on equal phrases.

He sounded riled at the launch of the Italian team’s new car or truck in Reggio Emilia on Tuesday evening when it was place to him by Reuters that he had misplaced floor when Leclerc had received stature.

“I will not see it that way,” he said.

“I think we had been up and up last yr, it truly is not like I had a different car or truck. We both have the same car or truck, and the same prospect to race properly. I never doubted that last yr, I will not think Charles did,” extra the 32-yr-old.

“I disagree with you. I will not see it that way, down and up. It will not adjust anything. We had been on equal phrases all all over last yr. We are this yr as properly.”

The difference is that last yr workforce principal Mattia Binotto built distinct at pre-season tests that Vettel, as the team’s expert driver, would be favored as the most important championship contender.

That is no for a longer time the case, with Binotto stating that they would start off on equal phrases from the opening race in Melbourne.

“We said (last yr) that Seb would have been 1st driver and Charles second. I think after a yr, and that both have proved they can both battle for the most effective consequence, they will be on the same stage,” he said on Tuesday.

Leclerc has a new agreement that ties him to Ferrari right until the stop of 2024, and is the facial area of the upcoming, whilst Vettel is out of agreement at the stop of the yr.

Media speculation continues to counsel Ferrari are intrigued in Mercedes’ six-instances earth winner Lewis Hamilton as a doable alternative.

Even if Ferrari claims Vettel remains their number 1 alternative to partner Leclerc in 2021, with a solid logic to continuity in the gentle of the coming rules revolution, he can not pay for a different yr like 2019.

The German built some obvious mistakes and appeared ill at simplicity in the car or truck and with its managing.

He denied on Tuesday, however, that he felt extra anxiety likely into the new campaign — or that Ferrari’s apparent vote of self-assurance had eased matters.

“At some point you have to form out what is actually likely on in the upcoming, but I think we will have adequate time to do so. So I’m not taking any added anxiety or strain,” he said.

“I feel excellent, assured. Final yr has been excellent for me in the sense of understanding a good deal of things and comprehending things. Definitely there are things I can do far better and I’m confident that I will do far better this yr.

“I’m not pressured, but definitely ambitious to establish it to myself.”