Vettel could go back to old Ferrari start system

As Motorsport.com revealed at the Spanish Grand Prix, in the wake of a poor getaway in Russia, Vettel had switched to a dual finger-hole clutch paddle arrangement.

It replaced the single clutch paddle system that he had previously used – and that Kimi Raikkonen has elected to remain with.

At the time of the switch, Vettel said that he had moved to the finger hole clutch arrangement because it said it gave him a better feel as he moved away at the lights.

"The beginning of the year was a bit wobbly but it seems to get more consistent. But it is also natural that a bit more practice, routine, you get better in whatever you have to do," he said.

"And I am happy to play around with the design layout to try to give me more feel and better control of what I need to do."

While Vettel's starts have been relatively good since Spain, the poor getaway at the Singapore Grand Prix – which then caused him to move across and defend against Max Verstappen – has thrust the issue back in to the spotlight.

And while part of the explanation for the slow start in Singapore was down to him electing to pull away in second gear to minimise wheelspin – whereas Verstappen and Kimi Raikkonen used first gear – it now appears the clutch paddle design has come under the spotlight too.

Vettel was spotted in the Ferrari cockpit at Sepang on Thursday afternoon working intensely with the mechanics on the steering wheel arrangement.

Wearing a racing glove on his left hand, he was seen practising with Raikkonen's steering wheel and the single clutch paddle – as though running through the start procedure.

He also swapped gloves several times, so was perhaps evaluating different designs of seam to help improve the feel from his fingers.

Following the Thursday tests, Vettel stuck with the single clutch paddle arrangement during both Friday practice sessions in Malaysia – where he would have done several practice starts.

That running will have given him enough of an idea about whether to permanently go back to the old system, or persevere with the arrangement that he has used since the Spanish Grand Prix.

Confirmation of his plan will come on Saturday, with parc ferme restrictions meaning that whatever paddle arrangement he runs in qualifying must be used in the race. He continued to use the old version in final practice.