- Russian GP - FP2
Vettel expecting struggles to continue
Sebastian Vettel admits Red Bull needs to brace itself for a tough Russian Grand Prix after being a long way off the pace in Friday's practice sessions.
Vettel rose to ninth on his final option run in FP3, which was as high as he or team-mate Daniel Ricciardo finished in either session With the track not playing into Red Bull's strengths Vettel believes there is only a limited amount the team can do to improve its prospects for the weekend.
"Well, we can work hard, try to improve the car and the set-up, then go from there," Vettel said when asked how Red Bull could improve its performance on Saturday. "I don't think there's any magic unfortunately. It looks like it's going to be a tougher weekend for us. It looks like we will struggle here; it's a nice track, but maybe not made for us."
As one of the directors of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association (GPDA), Vettel will be one of the drivers to take a lead on safety following Jules Bianchi's crash in Suzuka. With Bianchi still in a critical but stable condition in hospital, Vettel believes Friday's running was therapeutic for himself and his colleagues in an emotional time.
"Does getting back in the car help us after what's happened? It does and it doesn't. It helps to get your head elsewhere and focus on the day job - looking after the best possible set up and comparing the tyres and learning the new track, it keeps you occupied. But on the other hand it's only been a couple of days, so it's quite fresh and difficult."
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