Sebastian Vettel has had a busy few days since the F1 Russian GP as the German tested with Tony Kart and then met with Mattia Binotto at Ferrari HQ.
Before getting on with the kart run Vettel had, it was an unusual update from Ferrari on its official website of the German having a fruitful meet with Binotto on Tuesday which was followed by time with engineers in simulator to prepare for Japanese GP.
It is usual for the drivers to spend time at the factory whether to talk about the previous grand prix or prepare for the upcoming one but very rarely it is updated by the teams of the particular day they are having and what they are doing.
But aftermath the controversy surrounding a decision at Sochi last weekend which had Charles Leclerc also in the picture, the meet with Binotto becomes crucial for Vettel. It could be a scheduled meet as well as Vettel will have a busy week leading to Suzuka.
The German is due to test for Pirelli next week at Barcelona, where Mercedes and Red Bull Racing will also feature, before he flies off to Japan. Before his time at Maranello, Vettel flew to Lonato (Italy) and had one full day of a test run with Tony Kart.
The German was re-united with the team he has raced for during his early days as he drove the new Tony Kart Racer 401 R, both in the single-speed configuration and in the KZ version as he tested with the team’s official driver Joseph Turney.
Vettel also spent good time with the team’s technical head Marco Ardigo as he passed useful tips to the German about the gear karts which is new to him. It is not the first time for a F1 racer to kart in between the season though as many other do it.
The likes of Daniel Ricciardo, Romain Grosjean and Sergio Perez have shared images and videos of their test days but it is very rare for the likes of Vettel and or Lewis Hamilton – the champions on the grid – to have kart test days.
In a note published by Ferrari regarding Vettel’s Maranello visit, it stated: “Sebastian Vettel spent the day in Maranello today, preparing in the simulator for the Japanese Grand Prix, which takes place at Suzuka circuit on Sunday 13 October.”
“Sebastian started the day with a positive and constructive meeting with Team Principal Mattia Binotto before joining the engineers. In the afternoon, it was time to get in the simulator cockpit for a session assessing the SF90 running in different track conditions.”
Before the grand prix, Pirelli will have an additional test of 2020 tyres
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