Vettel hails 'straightforward' Ferrari F1 team-mate Raikkonen
Sebastian Vettel thinks his relationship with Kimi Raikkonen at Ferrari will be more "straightforward" than most Formula 1 team-mate partnerships
| FERRARI SF15-T LAUNCH |
| New Ferrari F1 design unveiled |
| Ferrari sets two-win target for 2015 |
| Vettel hails straightforward Raikkonen |
 |
Raikkonen said when Vettel was announced as his 2015 team-mate that he knew the German better than any of his other F1 rivals and expected it to be a "fun" partnership.
As Ferrari launched its new SF15-T on Friday, Vettel suggested the Finn would be particularly easy to work with by F1 standards.
"I don't expect any problems," said Vettel.
"He will be a difficult team-mate to beat on the track because he's very quick and very talented, but off the track we get on well.
"Usually there are not being words being exchanged, but it's very straightforward - which is something I appreciate in Kimi and it doesn't happen that often in Formula 1."
Team boss Mauricio Arrivabene underlined that he did not want driver dynamics to be hog the limelight this season.
Last year's match-up between Fernando Alonso and Raikkonen was the subject of much pre-season speculation, while in previous years Felipe Massa's number two status to Alonso had proved consistently topical.
"They have to work together as team-mates, they have to work with the team," Arrivabene said of his 2015 drivers.
"I want to be talking about the overall team and not only about the driver.
"Everybody is pushing and working together in the same direction and I am expecting the drivers to do the same."
Raikkonen agreed with Vettel that they should make a harmonious pairing.
"It's the first time working with him but I'm sure we'll have a good understanding of each other and to push the team forward," said the 2007 champion.
"Obviously we'll fight against each other, but in a good way, and we'll push each other to do better things."
Ferrari aims to win F1 races in 2015 with new SF15-T
Ferrari's 2015 F1 engine gains tipped to improve grand prix pace
Hamilton: Mercedes title hopes in 2021 held back by team sticking to F1 cost cap
Lewis Hamilton says how the FIA handles any cost cap breaches last year is so important because spending proved critical in the outcome of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship.
Verstappen: Honda “never really left” F1 given Red Bull ties
Max Verstappen feels Honda “never really left” Red Bull and would welcome a Formula 1 works return with the Japanese manufacturer amid it strengthening ties at the Japanese Grand Prix.
Alonso has no doubts regarding FIA after F1 cost cap delay
Fernando Alonso says he has complete trust in the FIA and holds “no doubts on anything” regarding how the governing body will handle breaches of the Formula 1 cost cap.
Verstappen: I need "perfect" Japanese GP weekend to wrap up F1 title
Max Verstappen thinks he will need a "perfect weekend" at Formula 1’s Japanese Grand Prix if he is going to clinch his second world title.
The relaxed home life that helps F1’s Danish superstar to deliver
The unrelenting grasp of the tax man prompts most racing drivers to move to the likes of Monaco, Switzerland or Dubai. But, as OLEG KARPOV found out, Kevin Magnussen is quite happy where he is, thank you very much – at home, with his family, in Denmark
How Perez has shown what many F1 drivers need from the 2022 season run-in
OPINION: Sergio Perez’s Singapore triumph arrested a big decline in his Formula 1 performances against Max Verstappen at Red Bull since his Monaco win. He now needs to maintain his form to the season’s end, while others are also seeking a change in fortunes
How the FIA should punish any breaches of the F1 cost cap
OPINION: On Wednesday, the FIA will issue F1 teams with compliance certificates if they stuck to the 2021 budget cap. But amid rumours of overspending, the governing body must set a critical precedent. It needs to carefully pick between revisiting the bitterness of Abu Dhabi, a contradictory punishment and ensuring parity for the rest of the ground-effect era
Singapore Grand Prix Driver Ratings 2022
A testing return to the Singapore Grand Prix in tricky conditions created plenty of hazards and mistakes for the Formula 1 drivers to fall into. That partly explains a number of low scores, including from a handful of high profile runners, allowing others to take a starring role under the floodlights
The two key contributors to Leclerc's defeat to Perez in F1's 2022 Singapore GP
In a marathon Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix, Sergio Perez’s victory was only assured hours after the race due to a stewards investigation. Throughout the contest the Red Bull driver impressively held off Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in changing conditions to see the Mexican pull out enough of an advantage to negate his post-race penalty
The time-honoured manufacturer model that can't apply to all F1 teams
What happens, asks MATT KEW, if the old adage of win on a Sunday, sell on a Monday is no longer true for F1 manufacturers?
Why is Oscar Piastri F1's most sought-after rookie?
The Australian rising star is fast, consistent, confident, adaptable and has shown excellent racecraft, but there’s already a taint to his reputation. That hasn’t stopped him becoming the hottest property in this year’s F1 driver market and why McLaren moved fast to snap up the 21-year-old
The unintended benefit that F1's new engine rules era will deliver
Formula 1's incoming engine rules shake-up has multiple targets. But it may also solve what has been a bone of contention since the hybrids arrived in 2014. The new plan will allow the series to pump up the volume