Vettel likes new F1 tire

World Champion Sebastian Vettel was pleased with the performance of Pirelli’s brand-new Formula 1 tires as the 12 teams sampled the Italian rubber at Yas Marina for the first time on Friday. After Red Bull topped Young Driver testing on Tuesday and Wednesday, the German ended today second on the timesheets to Felipe Massa.

“It was all about the tires today, as this was the first chance we have had to try them out and work with them to develop the car’s setup for next year," said the German, whose best lap time of 1:40.500 was just over three tenths of a second in arrears of the Brazilian Ferrari driver.

“I think the tires behaved well, better than expected given the short amount of time Pirelli have had, and they’ve done a good job. Pirelli are obviously in the middle of their development and what we used today is not what we will race with, but it was a good start. The circuit was in good condition and we had blue skies all day."

“It was great to be back in the car after an incredible week," he continued. “I went to Salzburg on Monday morning for a TV show and press conference and then to the UK to say thanks to the team in Milton Keynes – that was quite emotional.

“It’s nice for me and the team to be able to enjoy our success, but 2011 started today and I was focusing on the tires and getting to know them – I think we have learned quite a lot."