Vettel: ‘I’m racing three cars, including Kimi’

Sebastian Vettel has suggested he is not happy with the team dynamics at Ferrari following the Italian Grand Prix.

It was a dismal race weekend for the four-time World Champion, who found himself towing team-mate Kimi Raikkonen to pole position on Satuday and spinning to the back of the grid after contact with title rival Lewis Hamilton on the first lap come Sunday.

Vettel wrestled with a damaged car to claw his way back to P4 in Monza, but the Mercedes duo of Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas worked perfectly together and enabled the Brit to extend his World Championship lead to 30 points.

While Bottas acted as Hamilton’s blocker in the race, pole-sitter Raikkonen immediately covered off Vettel at the start, which in turn made Vettel vulnerable to attack from Hamilton.

“When I had to evade him in the next chicane, Lewis could get past,” Vettel told Ziggo Sport.

“I had no space and made a spin and had severe damage.”

While Bottas played the perfect No.2 role to set up the victory for Hamilton in his quest for a fifth World Championship, Vettel feels he is having to fight with three rivals for the silverware.

He added: “I’m not particularly happy with the way Ferrari managed things on Saturday.

“It should’ve been me starting from pole position.

“For me, it’s clear: I have to race three cars, including my teammate.”

Vettel may well have a new team-mate to work with next season, with several reports in Italy suggesting Charles Leclerc will be announced as part of Ferrari’s 2019 line-up this week.

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