Vettel: Car "making a bit more sense" after chassis change
Sebastian Vettel says his Ferrari SF1000 Formula 1 car is “making a bit more sense” after changing chassis ahead of this weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix.

Vettel has made his worst start to a season since 2008, scoring just 10 points in the opening five races of the year in a run that has seen him slump to 13th in the championship.
Teammate Charles Leclerc has accrued more than four times as many points as Vettel, who has openly spoken about a lack of confidence with the Ferrari car in recent weeks.
Ferrari announced ahead of this weekend’s race in Barcelona it would be changing Vettel’s chassis after finding a “small fault”.
Vettel finished fifth in first practice on Friday at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya before dropping to 12th in FP2, albeit just three-tenths of a second off Leclerc’s time.
Vettel felt he had “a mixed day” across the two practice sessions, noting an improvement in his qualifying runs, but struggled across the race simulations.
"It was generally a bit better in terms of one lap pace,” Vettel said.
“In the afternoon I was struggling a little bit more to put the laps together. We should be in a better place, so let’s see what we get tomorrow.
“We’ve tried a couple of things. We know a bit more for tomorrow.”
Read Also:
Asked if he got the answers he was looking for from the Ferrari car after the first run in the new chassis, Vettel said some progress had been made.
“Not all the answers that you want to get, but I think overall, things were making a bit more sense,” Vettel said.
“On Friday, it’s always a bit difficult, you're trying a lot of things, and so did we today. We’ll see things calm down hopefully tomorrow.”
Drivers struggled with high track temperatures through Friday’s practice running, which neared 50ºC in the afternoon session.
Vettel said he “struggle a little bit” to put a run of laps together in FP2, and felt temperatures would create a challenge for all drivers in managing their tyres.
"Managing the race will be a key point to address with the temperatures that we have,” Vettel said. "It will be difficult, but it will be same for everyone.”
Related video

Previous article
McLaren withdrew Racing Point appeal after FIA assurances
Next article
F1 teams agree to ban testing at new 2020 race venues

About this article
Series | Formula 1 |
Event | Spanish GP |
Drivers | Sebastian Vettel |
Teams | Scuderia Ferrari |
Author | Luke Smith |
Vettel: Car "making a bit more sense" after chassis change
Trending
The updates Williams hopes will lead to a point-scoring return
After producing a car which demonstrated progress but lacked the points to prove it last year, Williams starts its new era of team ownership with the FW43B, its bid to continue the climb up the Formula 1 grid in 2021
How Ferrari plans to recover from its 2020 F1 nightmare
The 2020 Formula 1 season was Ferrari's worst for 40 years as it slumped to sixth in the standings. A repeat performance will not be acceptable for the proud Italian team, which has adopted a notably pragmatic approach to forging its path back to the top
Why Aston Martin’s arrival is more than just new green livery
In the most eagerly anticipated Formula 1 team launch of the season, the rebranded Aston Martin squad’s changes go much further than the striking paint job. But rather than a restart, the team hopes to build on top of solid foundations.
The car Aston Martin begins its new F1 journey with
The team formerly known as Racing Point gambled successfully on a Mercedes look-alike in 2020 as it mounted a strong challenge for third in the constructors' race and won the Sakhir GP. Now clothed in British racing green, Aston Martin's first Formula 1 challenger since 1960 provides the clearest indicator yet of what to expect from the new-for-2021 regulations
The tricky driver conundrums facing Mercedes in F1 2021
Ahead of the new Formula 1 season, reigning world champions Mercedes will take on challenges both old and new. This also can be said for its driver conundrum which could become key to sustaining its ongoing success...
How Alpine's cure to 2021 F1 rules starts at the front
A new name, new faces and new colours pulls the rebranded Alpine Formula 1 team into a new era while carrying over core elements of its 2020 car. But under the surface there's more than meets the eye with the A521 which hints at how the team will tackle 2021...
Can Mercedes' W12 retain the team's crown?
Replacing Formula 1's fastest car was never going to be an easy feat for Mercedes. Amid the technical rule tweaks to peg back the W12 and its 2021 rivals, the new Mercedes challenger will remain the target to beat
The pointed note that starts Ferrari's Leclerc vs Sainz era
Ferrari is starting its post-Sebastian Vettel age by welcoming Carlos Sainz in alongside Charles Leclerc. But while Sainz has a tough challenge to match his new teammate, Ferrari is also sending a message that previous intra-team spats must end