Vettel expecting Hungarian weekend to be 'very different'

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Sebastian Vettel is confident Ferrari can hold its own in Hungary against arch-rival Mercedes with the German driver expecting a different scenario to unfold compared to Silverstone.

Vettel still leads the world championship standings, albeit by just a single point, as Mercedes appears to have regained the upper hand against the red squad.

Italian media has even gone as far as to suggest that a crisis is brewing at Maranello after the Scuderia's defeat in the British Grand Prix, but Vettel denies any troubles.

"I don't think so," Vettel told La Repubblica.

"I do think Mercedes has recovered a lot of ground, but we are still fast -- especially on Sundays.

"On Saturday we suffer too much, because when starting the races from behind it is not always possible to recover."

Max Verstappen laughs off Vettel's complaints

Vettel admits he was expecting a better performance from Ferrari at Silverstone, but he did nevertheless take away some positives from the event.

"In the corners, the car behaves very well and is balanced. At Copse we were 10kph ahead of them (Mercedes).

"Maybe they are a little more efficient in aerodynamics, which this year counts for much, but in general we are there," he insisted.

F1 moves to Hungary this weekend for the last race before the August break, but Vettel is not sure it will be a 'decisive' weekend.

"I don't know about decisive, but I do think it will be very different (to Silverstone)," he said.

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.