F1 News, Reports and Race Results

Vettel says gap to Stroll down to 'different specification'

Sebastian Vettel says the gap between himself and Aston Martin teammate Lance Stroll in Friday's free practice sessions at Portimão was partly down to the Canadian running a different specification on his AMR21.

Stroll, who concluded his day P9 in the pecking order, outpaced the four-time world champion by over six tenths of a second in both sessions continuing a trend that has been in place since the start of the season.

But Vettel said that he isn't worried by the current deficit.

"No, not really," Vettel replied. "He’s driving a slightly different specification this weekend, and that was clear from the start.

"I hope that he can make a little step forward with it."

©AstonMartin

Regardless of the potential specification differences between Aston Martin's two cars, Vettel clearly continued to appear at odds with the Silverstone-based team's AMR21, a perception the German did not deny.

"I did not feel comfortable in the short run, at the moment it is still difficult to put everything together," he admitted.

"We tried quite a few things but did not achieve the best result yet. With all the things we tried, I am sure there will be something for tomorrow.

"The car does not yet do what I want it to do. I think we can still work on the setup here, also on the driving style.

"On the long run, it’s a bit better, having more laps. On the short run, it was difficult to put the tyres in the right window."

Gallery: The beautiful wives and girlfriends of F1 drivers

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter

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.

Recent Posts

Las Vegas GP: Thursday's action in pictures

The opening day of running at the Las Vegas GP was a smooth but chilly…

2 hours ago

Williams' headaches persist into Vegas practice

Williams is continuing to fight uphill battles this weekend in Las Vegas as a knock-on…

3 hours ago

Ferrari's Sainz 'not satisfied with where we are' in Vegas

It was a solid start to the Las Vegas weekend for Ferrari with Carlos Sainz…

4 hours ago

Norris labels McLaren long-run pace ‘shocking’ in chilly Vegas

Lando Norris didn’t hold back in his assessment of McLaren’s performance on the opening day…

5 hours ago

Hamilton delighted with ‘consistently strong day’ in Vegas

Lewis Hamilton was particularly happy with his opening day of running at the Las Vegas…

7 hours ago

Verstappen stuck with 'draggy' rear wing for Vegas

Red Bull fears that its prospects for this weekend's Las Vegas Grand Prix - which…

8 hours ago