Sebastian Vettel says the upgrade Ferrari introduced for its car at the Singapore Grand Prix helped him get more out of the SF90 in qualifying.
He ended a nine-race streak of starting behind team mate Charles Leclerc in the Japanese Grand Prix last week. However Vettel denied he had made a breakthrough with his car at Suzuka.“Nothing has changed” he said, “we didn’t change the car for here so nothing that would explain the step in performance.”
Vettel took his first pole position since the Canadian Grand Prix last weekend. “I think it was just a clean session,” he explained, “I don’t think there was a particular problem.
“Obviously we’ve been improving the car, especially since Singapore. I think the update helped us, probably help me in areas where maybe I struggled a little bit before.
“But overall I think qualifying sessions on my side haven’t gone entirely smooth so maybe that one just went quite smooth. Both laps were clean, no issues on preparing the lap and so on. So I was happy with that.”
Vettel took his second pole position of the year at Suzuka. Team mate Charles Leclerc has had six poles this year, the most of any driver, and has out-qualified Vettel by nine to six with four races remaining.
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Andy Bunting (@wildbiker)
18th October 2019, 7:24
There’s a current, recent story on other sites regarding team lodging an appeal with the FIA regarding Ferrari’s recent boost in performance. Yet again this hinges on Ferrari burning a small amount of oil in the intercooler. Current regulations permit such oil burning, as long as there’s no unfair performance boost.
I have mentioned before that Riciardo Engineering at Shoreham UK can 2 stroke a 4 stroke engine for short periods. Giving an enormous hp boost. The engineering coupled with today’s sophisticated electronic engine management systems can do this. Might be the “party mode” utilised by Merc & now Red Bull too?!
RenM
18th October 2019, 12:54
Its unlikely that this does the trick, as the engine performance in F1 is limited by the fuel mass flow. Thats why oil is used. It basically works as additional fuel, hence more energy is available for combustion, which results in a higher power output.
Nate
19th October 2019, 1:28
It also has to do with illegal energy deployment. Not just oil burning. And you’re allowed to have oil in the radiators, but you aren’t allowed to combust any oil under a strict interpretation of the rule book. Its a much bigger deal than you’re making it out to be
Islander
18th October 2019, 12:18
Simone Resta.
He leaves Alfa in august, they nosedive.
He joins Ferrari, they fly.
F1oSaurus (@)
18th October 2019, 13:50
Well Vettel claimed he would/should have had the Monza pole too. It’s more like Vettel says, he’s been poor in qualifying really. Either not a clean out lap, messing up with getting a tow, mistakes during the final run or whatever. There is always something going wrong.
While Leclerc has been making less errors in the last Q3 run. Or when he makes his mistake (like in Sochi) Ferrari were so far ahead and Vettel was so off that he didn’t even finish his lap, so Leclerc got pole anyway even with a reasonably poor run.
Carlos Medrano (@carlosmedrano)
18th October 2019, 20:26
Lol ferrari start favoring vettel again and he repays them by throwing away another win with a bad start
Sensord4notbeingafanboi (@peartree)
18th October 2019, 23:32
Exactly, I agree, imagine what the mclaren could do with a driver that is not sainz jr.