Vettel aiming to beat Mercedes 'at all tracks'

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Sebastian Vettel says Ferrari is aiming to make its SF70H the all-round best car this season, and gain an edge on Mercedes at every single track.

The current leader of the world championship is giving the Silver Arrows outfit a run for its money this season thanks to the Scuderia's impressive turnaround since the 2017 campaign kicked off in Melbourne.

Vettel has triumphed four times this year so far and vows to keep the momentum going while also extracting more from the SF70H's potential.

"The team is in a much better shape this year," he told Sky F1 in Budapest.

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"If you have the right results coming your way you start to pick up a bit of momentum and so it's up to us to keep it going.

"But I'm quite confident we have the right people, we know how to build a strong car, and we have improved the engine this year massively, so everything is going in the right direction.

"We will see in terms of time whether we will be ahead or behind but I'm confident we will be there and hopefully fight for a lot of big points."

Vettel admits that Ferrari's SF70H still needs to have "a few weaknesses here and there" ironed out. The German driver wants the car to be a force to be reckoned with at every type of circuit.

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"Now, it's true to also say Mercedes here and there have been more competitive and we have been a little bit behind.

"We know what the car needs. It's normal that from track to track there's a little bit of a difference but that's not our target.

"We want to be the best on every track we go to and we're working on it. We have quite a good understanding of what the car needs and now we have a bit of time to look into a couple of things in a bit more peace and calm.

"But the most important thing is we know what we need."

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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.