Vettel issues Mercedes praise

Sebastian Vettel admits Mercedes have been “close to perfection” in 2019 but is convinced Ferrari can battle with them at the front. The Silver Arrows secured the Constructors’ Championship after the Japanese Grand Prix last weekend, with four races to spare. Mercedes’ extremely strong start to the season set them up for victory after they won six of the first eight races, with six of them resulting in one-two finishes for the team. The second half of the season has seen the gap at the top close considerably, with Ferrari tasting victory in three of the last five races in Belgium, Italy, and Singapore. It is the sixth successive year the Silver Arrows have won the constructors’ title and it’s another blow to Ferrari who arrived into 2019 full of optimism after their impressive showing in pre-season. Despite his disappointment, Vettel has begrudgingly admitted how good Mercedes have been and says he is hopeful the gap will close. “Obviously you can’t see what they are doing, but I think from the outside they are very close to perfection every time they go out on track. Very consistent, very little mistakes,” the four-time world champion said. “That’s certainly also part of what makes them so strong. If you clinch the constructors’ title with four races to go, there’s a lot of things you do better than all the others. “Hopefully they get a bit bored. We will see what happens.”