F1 points leader Vettel: Ferrari 'healthier' but must still improve
Formula 1 championship leader Sebastian Vettel felt "healthier" in his Ferrari in Bahrain but insists the team must improve despite winning the opening two grands prix of the season

Vettel followed up a fortunate victory in the Australian Grand Prix by qualifying on pole in Bahrain and holding off Mercedes' Valtteri Bottas for the win after a mid-race change of strategy.
When asked by Autosport whether his performance was more down to Mercedes' not being at the same level as in Australia, or Ferrari's own gains, Vettel replied: "It's a difficult one.
"I can't speak for them but I think it's always a combination of things.
"Probably the circuit came our way. [But it was] mostly the fact I had a better feel with the car.
"We worked on the set-up, [which] helped us to extract more.
"It was more consistent on one lap but also in the race. So, I felt just healthier and more in control.
"How much they struggled, I don't know. They looked pretty handy at the end of the stints, at least, and in qualifying the gap wasn't massive.
"Overall it's been close but obviously it's good to be just ahead."
Vettel explained after qualifying that Ferrari had targeted improving the front of its car after struggling to match Mercedes in Australia.
He described it as "a bit more difficult to get into the window" and said more work needed to be done because he suspects this year will be very close between three teams.
"It's clear that we need to improve," he said.
"Valtteri and Lewis are pushing very hard. Obviously, Kimi, alongside, is pushing incredibly hard. The two Red Bull guys with Max [Verstappen] and Daniel [Ricciardo] are pushing hard.

"Those three teams and six drivers are very, very close to each other.
"It will be important to improve and be quick everywhere you go. That helps.
"The quicker you are, the more you are one unit with your car, the happier you feel, the more you're able to extract when it really matters."
Vettel's team-mate Kimi Raikkonen had been strong throughout the Bahrain GP weekend but was pipped to pole and then retired from the race after a botched pitstop that left a mechanic with a broken leg.
Raikkonen said his performance did not ease the frustration of losing the result.
"It doesn't matter how good things are unfortunately if you don't finish or score points," he said. "It's obviously far from what I want.
"I had struggled a bit with the rears in the first stint. We changed the tyres, I was taking it kind of easy and still catching up, it was going OK.
"I've been pretty happy all weekend but there's always things to improve and you could have done slightly different and better."

Previous article
Bahrain GP: Hamilton questions Verstappen's maturity after F1 clash
Next article
Verstappen responds to Hamilton's F1 Bahrain GP drivers' room jibe

About this article
Series | Formula 1 |
Drivers | Sebastian Vettel |
Teams | Ferrari , Racing Point |
Author | Scott Mitchell |
F1 points leader Vettel: Ferrari 'healthier' but must still improve
Trending
Albert Park Circuit Modifications Project
Mercedes-AMG F1 Team: Bahrain GP Race Debrief
The delay that quashed Aston Martin’s last F1 venture
Aston Martin’s only previous foray into Formula 1 in the late 1950s was a short-lived and unsuccessful affair. But it could have been so different, says NIGEL ROEBUCK
Verstappen exclusive: Why lack of car-racing titles won't hurt Red Bull's ace
Max Verstappen’s star quality in Formula 1 is clear. Now equipped with a Red Bull car that is, right now, the world title favourite and the experience to support his talent, could 2021 be the Dutchman’s year to topple the dominant force of Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes?
Are we at peak F1 right now?
For many, many years Formula 1 has strived to do and to be better on all fronts. With close competition, a growing fanbase, a stable political landscape and rules in place to encourage sustainability, 2021 is on course to provide an unexpected peak
How crucial marginal calls will decide the Red Bull vs Mercedes battle in F1 2021
The longer Red Bull can maintain a performance edge over Mercedes, the better the odds will be in the team’s favour against the defending world champions. But as the Bahrain Grand Prix showed, many more factors will be critical in the outcome of the 2021 Formula 1 World Championship
How Williams’ new structure adheres to a growing F1 trend
Williams held out against the tide for many years but, as MARK GALLAGHER explains, the age of the owner-manager is long gone
When a journeyman driver's F1 career lasted just 800m
Nikita Mazepin’s Formula 1 debut at the Bahrain Grand Prix lasted mere corners before he wiped himself out in a shunt, but his financial backing affords him a full season. Back in 1993 though, Marco Apicella was an F1 driver for just 800m before a first corner fracas ended his career. Here’s the story of his very short time at motorsport’s pinnacle
The nightmare timing that now hinders Mercedes
Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton took victory at the Bahrain Grand Prix despite, for a change, not having the quickest car. But any hopes of developing its W12 to surpass Red Bull's RB16B in terms of outright speed could not have come at a worse time.
How Raikkonen's rapid rise stalled his team-mate's F1 career climb
Kimi Raikkonen’s emergence as a Formula 1 star in his rookie campaign remains one of the legendary storylines from 2001, but his exploits had an unwanted impact on his Sauber team-mate’s own prospects. Twenty years on from his first F1 podium at the Brazilian GP, here’s how Nick Heidfeld’s career was chilled by the Iceman