Vettel feels drivers are abusing the VSC rules

Vettel endured a frustrating weekend at Barcelona, having to settle for a 4th place finish after a bizarre pit-stop strategy on part of the Ferrari think tank.

Vettel had smartly overtaken Bottas during lap 1 to get into 2nd place behind Hamilton but went in for an early pit stop and switched to the medium compound. It seemed like Vettel was in for a one pit-stop strategy, but that wasn’t to be the case, as he was asked to come into the pit lane mid way through the race as well(when VSC was in place).

Vettel has now criticised the VSC system, as according to him a weakness in the software allows drivers to go faster than they should be able to.

Vettel also admitted that he made a mistake by stopping the car in his pits due to cold tyres.

“It’s the same for everyone but the FIA is supplying us with a system that makes us follow a delta time, and everybody has to slow down by, I think, 40%, but I think everybody’s aware you can have a faster way to go under VSC than just follow the delta – by saving distance,” Vettel said.

“So, I think we should have a system that hasn’t got this loophole, because it forces us to drive ridiculous lines around the track and everybody’s doing it so I don’t think it’s a secret.

“Our sport should be in a better shape than supplying software that’s just poor and allows us to find some extra performance that way.” he added.

Lewis Hamilton now has a convincing 17 point lead at the top of the driver standings. Will Vettel catch him up during the European race season?