Vettel not judging new car's pace yet

The Faenza-based outfit introduced their new STR3 for the first time in Monaco and, after recovering from a difficult time in practice getting to grips with its characteristics, Vettel scored a fifth-placed finish.

But although the team had a better than expected start with the new machine, Vettel believes that it will take the Canadian and French Grands Prix to give his team an indication of just how competitive they can be.

"I was very pleased with the pace in Monaco," Vettel told autosport.com. "It was the first time with the new car, and I think we managed better and better with it.

"The race was very chaotic, so it was hard to judge the car's performance. So we will see this more in the next race, and at Magny-Cours, which is the next proper circuit."

Vettel said the key to his points-scoring finish in Monaco was simply staying out of trouble on a day that many of his rivals hit each other or hit the barriers.

"It was extremely difficult," he said. "The conditions were really tough, but it's a good result for us. It was all about staying on the circuit and not making any mistakes."