'We still need to get everything right,' says Vettel

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Sebastian Vettel believes Ferrari still needs to perfectly line up all elements of its package before it can consider winning on its own merit.

The German put in a spirited and remarkable drive in last Sunday's Singapore GP, racing from dead last all the way to fifth place, also helped by a perfectly executed strategy.

But the four-time world champion insisted that there was still much work to be done before the Scuderia can fulfill its expectations.

"I think if we get everything right then we know we have a strong package, for sure," Vettel said.

"There have been a lot of races where we didn’t do that; some was up to us, some was up to stuff that happened, but for sure it didn’t end up so far the way we wanted and we’re not yet where we want to be.

"But I think we believe in ourselves. For sure we are not entirely where we want to be in terms of raw pace. Sometimes it’s a bit better, sometimes it’s worse.

Ferrari and Vettel in particular expected an improvement of the red squad's relative performance at the Marina Bay venue, as Kimi Raikkonen's 4th place finish also demonstrated.

"Obviously on tracks like this it’s generally more close so we kind of expected to be competitive and then you always have a chance to win or fight for a very solid podium.

"Unfortunately it didn’t turn out for both of us but I think going forward we have confidence, there are some bits coming still. We’re here to fight and that’s what we’re going to do."

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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.