The first race of 2016 Formula 1 season is slightly over a month away with the first test scheduled for end of February.
The first race of 2016 Formula 1 season is slightly over a month away with the first test scheduled for end of February. The teams are yet to figure out where the stack up in terms of sheer pace but already Sebastian Vettel is sure if Ferrari will be able to close the gap on the reigning world champion Mercedes, come the season opener in Melbourne.
“It’s natural that we all want to win – the team is quite big, there’s a lot of people and if you ask everyone, I think [they all agree] our target is to win,” Vettel said during the Pirelli wet-weather tyre test at Paul Ricard. But we know it’s very ambitious, we know that the gap has been quite big last year. I think we did a good job over the season to come closer. This year we have some changes and we will have to see – obviously the testing is crucial to start on the right foot and then we go from there. But Australia is one race from 21. If you win there, it’s great, if not – you try to finish as close as possible to the top step and collect as many points. And after that it’s a long year.”
Ferrari president Sergio Marchionne had said, ” The world championship is decided in the winter when the car is prepared for the new season. When we get to Melbourne, we will understand if we have done a good job or if there was someone that was better. If I can give some advice to all those who work at Maranello – it is to be terrified by the arrival of spring. We must suffer the unknown of what Mercedes will do in these months, and then we will see on track in February.”
The Australian GP will be held at Albert Part in Melbourne on 20th March.