• Canadian Grand Prix

Vettel unsure of Red Bull competitiveness

Sebastian Vettel is level on points with his team-mate Mark Webber in the drivers' championship © Press Association

Enlarge

Related Links

• Race:
• Canadian Grand Prix

• Drivers:
• Sebastian Vettel

• Teams:
• Red Bull

Sebastian Vettel admits that he doesn't know if Red Bull will be competitive in Canada due to a lack of straight-line speed so far this season.

Traditionally Adrian Newey's Red Bull cars have been the class of the field in high-speed corners but less so when it comes to top speed. It's a trait that appears be continuing in 2012 and Vettel himself admitted that the car has not been the quickest in speed traps. However, he insisted that the team has yet to set the car up for straight0line speed and pointed to victories in Belgium and Italy last year as proof it could be quick.

"We never had a very competitive car looking at speed traps, which might be to some extent the way we set up our car," Vettel said. "But equally you could say that in Spa last year and Monza there were long straights but we had a very competitive car. Surely the car this year is completely different because the rules changed; this is the first time really we get on to a track with a setup that suits more around the straights rather than the corners. So we'll see where we are."

Asked if he cracked under pressure when leading last year, Vettel actually said he believed it was one of his better performances.

"It was a very difficult race, one of the most difficult ones we had last year just given the conditions and the long break we had in between. In the end I think we did everything right, I never had a mistake until the last lap so I think there were plenty of opportunities in the race to lose the car and spin like other people did."

Speaking about the floor change Red Bull has had to make, Vettel said that he didn't agree with the clarification from the FIA but didn't expect it to have a major impact.

"I didn't feel there was anything wrong in the car in Monaco, or the car we had previously, but nevertheless I don't think it will be a big difference. It's a shame it goes one way and then the other, especially I think it's difficult to really understand what's going on but in the end I don't think it will be a big penalty so we should be OK."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.