Vettel says Red Bull must react to Ferrari's performance
Sebastian Vettel has urged his Red Bull Racing team to respond as quick as it can to Fernando Alonso's victory in the British Grand Prix, ahead of what he thinks will be a crucial stage of the championship
A major update on the Ferrari car, allied to the changes in the blown diffuser regulations for Silverstone, ended the Maranello-based team's victory drought and delivered fresh hope that it could yet stop Red Bull Racing romping away to the world title.
Vettel thinks that his chiefs should not just brush aside Alonso's success as the result of weather and circumstance, and instead he thinks it needs to work hard to bring improvements over the next few races in a bid to kill off Ferrari's title hopes fully.
"It was a tough race and Ferrari was very quick, Fernando in particular, and they beat us," said Vettel in a post race video interview with Red Bull. "We need to accept it, and to understand when you get beaten you have to accept it.
"It was a lesson to learn, and it is up to us now to refocus and make sure that we come back with stronger performance for the next couple of races. It is a very important time now for the championship.
"We are in a good position still, but we need to keep working on ourselves because the otherwise the others come too close for our liking."
Alonso is still 92 points behind Vettel in the standings, but it would only take a short run of bad luck for Red Bull Racing to start feeling threatened by the Spaniard.
Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner says there was no doubt at Silverstone that there were times during the race when Alonso was the fastest car on the track.
"It was a race of two halves," he said. "On inters we seemed to be very strong and through the middle phase of the grand prix we seemed to be okay.
"But then the balance seemed to shift during the second half of the race. Potentially, as the fuel loads got lighter or as the circuit rubbered in, Ferrari's pace picked up and Fernando's pace was obviously very strong.
"As we see with these tyres there is obviously a sweet spot, but we were running in a [blown diffuser] configuration this weekend that we have not previously been in."
Behind the scenes at Silverstone
Hamilton and Button believe McLaren can bounce back
Ducati proved MotoGP team order claims in 2022 were "bullshit"
Ducati boss Paolo Ciabatti says the marque proved in the final races of the 2022 MotoGP season that claims it deployed team orders to help its title bid were "bullshit".
Krack: Aston Martin ‘on target’ in five-year plan but needs big step in ’23
Aston Martin team principal Mike Krack says that the Silverstone Formula 1 outfit is on target after recovering from a poor start to the 2022 season.
Super Formula calendar set at nine races for 2023
The 2023 Super Formula season will comprise nine races according to an updated schedule released by Japanese governing body JAF.
WRC releases details of new 24/7 TV subscription service
The World Rally Championship has confirmed its all-new 24/7 television subscription channel will launch midway through next year.
The difference between Mercedes’ stumble and the fall of F1 giants
OPINION: Mercedes endured its worst season of the hybrid Formula 1 era, but was mercifully spared its first winless campaign in over a decade late on. It has owned up to the mistakes it made which led to its troubled W13. And while its task to return to title-challenging contention is not small, its 2022 season seems more like a blip than the beginning of a downward spiral.
The physical focus bringing out the best of an F1 midfield star
Esteban Ocon likes to point out he’s the first driver since Lewis Hamilton to emerge from a spell as Fernando Alonso’s team-mate with a superior overall points record. While some may disagree, as LUKE SMITH discovered, the 2021 Hungarian GP winner reckons it’s not just luck which has made him France’s pre-eminent Formula 1 driver of the moment…
How Red Bull's dynamic leader shaped its F1 philosophy
The death of Dietrich Mateschitz last month has not only deprived Red Bull of its visionary founder, it has shorn Formula 1 of one of its most influential benefactors. Mateschitz himself was famously media-shy, preferring to let the brand do the talking on his behalf. And, while it’s now normal to speak of Red Bull F1 titles and champions made, Mateschitz never assumed it would be easy or even possible – as ANTHONY ROWLINSON discovered during this previously unpublished interview from 2006…
Can Mercedes break Formula 1's cycle of doom?
OPINION: Teams that have dominated for long periods throughout Formula 1's history often take years to get back to the top of the tree once they've slipped down. But it remains to be seen whether the same will happen to Mercedes after a challenging 2022 season
What hurt Perez most in his ill-fated fight for second in Abu Dhabi
Arguably the favourite in the battle to finish second best in 2022's Formula 1 standings, Sergio Perez's two-stop strategy at Abu Dhabi couldn't take him ahead of Charles Leclerc when the music stopped - and several key factors ultimately precluded him from the much-coveted runner-up spot
The Abu Dhabi momentum that can propel Leclerc and Ferrari to F1 2023 success
OPINION: Charles Leclerc achieved his target of sealing runner-up in the 2022 world championship with a masterful drive behind Max Verstappen in Abu Dhabi. And that race contained key elements that may help him, and Ferrari, go one better in Formula 1 2023
How Verstappen's record-breaking 2022 season compares to the F1 greats
The 2022 Formula 1 season will be remembered as a record book rewriting Max Verstappen masterclass, a completely different challenge to his maiden world championship last year, and a clear sign he is still raising his own level. But where does it stack up against the all-time great F1 campaigns?
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Driver Ratings
The 2022 Formula 1 season came to a close at the Yas Marina Circuit, where the battle for second in the standings was decided, the wins in a season record extended and a retiring four-time world champion bowed out on a high. Here's how we rated the drivers