Jul.11 (GMM) While Sebastian Vettel is urging Ferrari not to “panic”, boss Maurizio Arrivabene says the team must quickly resolve its issues before Hungary.
Ferrari’s slide in the pecking order continued at Silverstone, where the fabled Italian team was clearly outpaced all weekend by Red Bull.
“In the race we were quick, just not quick enough to compete with Red Bull and Mercedes,” said Vettel.
“But there is no need to panic, it’s just a bad day.”
When told by a reporter that the whole weekend at Silverstone had been disastrous, Vettel hit back: “You’re always so negative, even when things don’t go well once or twice.”
But some say Silverstone was a sure sign that president Sergio Marchionne’s title target is now definitely gone.
“We are not even half of the season gone,” Arrivabene insisted after the British grand prix. “Of course the fight is not over.
“But I do not hide the fact that if we want to keep this dream alive, we have to get some things under control.”
Arrivabene said the main problem is the car’s aerodynamics, but he also acknowledged multiple recent reliability problems with the gearbox.
Asked if it is a design or quality problem, he said: “I cannot answer that in detail yet. I believe it is the material and I hope that it is not the basic design.
“The first objective must be to once again put Red Bull Racing behind us. Only then can we attack Mercedes.
“In Hungary we will know where we stand and that Britain was the exception. We cannot afford a defeat at the Hungaroring,” Arrivabene added.