Vettel: My season ‘not as bad as it looks’

Sebastian Vettel has said his season is “not as bad it looks” but knows he and the team can both do better next season at Ferrari.

Vettel’s season has been littered with high-profile mistakes and crashes, and has also come out second best against Charles Leclerc who was competing in his first year with Ferrari.

The four-time World Champion has finished behind Lewis Hamilton, Valtteri Bottas, Max Verstappen and Leclerc in the World Championship standings in what has very much been a season to forget.

Vettel knows he must improve in 2020, which is currently the final year of his Ferrari contract, but feels this season’s poor display has been an accumulation of small incidents.

“Well we didn’t have the year we were hoping for,” Vettel told Sky Sports F1.

“I think the reasons are clear. I think the lessons are clear. Now it is up to us to make sure we take them on board.

“As a team, we must perform stronger and as an individual, I must do better and I can do better. It wasn’t a great year from my side.

“I don’t think it was as bad as it looks because there were many small things probably leading to not a great picture in the end, but still I’m the first one to look at myself and say I’m honest and I know I can do better.

“That’s the target next year, to take a step forward and hopefully we can get a stronger package as well to fight with Mercedes and Red Bull at the front.”

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