With a new engine, Vettel starts from the back of the grid at the US Grand Prix

The stage is not good for Sebastian Vettel. In the final nine stages, he was in the scoring area in only one: a fifth place win in non-races at Spa, Belgium. It is true that in this period the German came to finish second in the Hungarian Grand Prix, but he ended up disqualified after the race as there was no more gas in the tank for the sample. Nor does the US Grand Prix, the next stage of the championship, look the most promising for Vettel.

In an interview already conducted at the Circuit of the Americas, he revealed that it would be necessary to change the engine of his Aston Martin: “I think we’re starting, let’s say, a tough weekend,” the driver said, according to the F1 website. “We will change the engine, and therefore, we will get a penalty.”

It is not yet known whether the change will be only from the combustion engine, which may entail a 10-position penalty for the grid, or if other parts of the power unit are replaced, which could push it back even further. In any case, Vettel’s average position in the season rankings is 11, which would put him 20th and last on the grid even if only the V6 was replaced.

Even with the difficulties thrown up even before the cars hit the track, Vettel remains positive: “Let’s see what we can do from where we start. Anyway, looking into the future, I think we can be strong here. How strong, let’s We see “.

One of Vettel’s hopes for a good rebound race is the Circuit des Americas itself, which is arguably one of the best German teams. In this regard, he has already won two poles and one victory, all during Red Bull’s tenure. “This track is definitely great to drive,” he said. “It’s a good mix, slow parts, fast parts, you have fun, you’re happy after one lap because another is going to start.”

For those who are going to start in the last positions of the grid and are looking for points, it is necessary to have the possibility of overtaking. And Vettel understands that, on this track, it’s entirely possible: “Yeah, you can overtake, so I think it’s a good place to change engines, and hopefully we can have some entertainment on Sunday afternoon.”

Still at the Texas circuit, the point that has been raised in recent days is concern about asphalt conditions. The floor was the target of a lot of criticism from MotoGP riders, who raced there in early October. On the eve of the start of GP activities, the track is still undergoing minor repair work to remove some ripples.

The problem is recurring on the right track. In 2019, the track also underwent emergency repairs. Ferrari’s Vettel’s suspension broke in the early part of the race, according to the team, thanks to poor asphalt conditions. However, for him, these ripples shouldn’t be as problematic for cars as they were for motorcycles.

“We’ll see when we go to the track. I think a few weeks ago, when MotoGP was here, it was really bad. But for us it’s not as bad as it is for them. Let’s see,” said Vettel, who also said the ripples give “character”. Certain for the track: “I generally like these ripples.”

The US Grand Prix events are scheduled to begin on Friday, 22nd. The race will take place on Sunday at 4pm Brasilia time.