Sebastian Vettel says Ferrari still needs to find a “decent chunk" in order to be competitive, despite enjoying an encouraging start to pre-season testing at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
Vettel finished second to Mercedes rival Valtteri Bottas on Wednesday, just 0.247s behind the Finn, despite posting his best lap time on Soft tyres, compared to the Ultra Soft tyres utilised by his opponent.
Vettel also racked up 138 laps, adding to the 126 he amassed on Monday, and the 108 completed by team-mate Kimi Räikkönen on Tuesday.
“The car doesn’t have any major issues in terms of reliability which is the most important right now, to make sure everything works,” he said.
“In terms of performance it’s impossible to tell but by the looks of it we still need to find a decent chunk, so there’s a lot of work ahead.
“We need more [downforce], we’re working very hard on that and I think we will see big improvements from everyone throughout the whole season.”
Vettel was also enthusiastic about the gains made under revised Formula 1 cars, which has led to quicker lap times compared to recent seasons.
“It’s always more fun when it’s faster,” he said.
“I don’t know I find a proper comparison now, but yeah, I think it’s what we’re here for, to be able to push, not just for a couple of corners but for many laps, and I think roughly that’s what the cars feel like.
“It feels roughly like it did 10 years ago, with more grip, faster corner speeds, which is always enjoyable.”
