Sebastian Vettel has played down the suggestion he needs a strong rear-end on a car to be fast.
The German was of course King of the Mountain when he had the blown diffuser during his championship-winning years at Red Bull, but at Ferrari, he became more known for his spins during his final few years at the team.
Now at Aston Martin, Vettel has kept his rotations to a minimum and asked if that was due to more rear grip, the 33-year-old snapped back.
“I feel like this rear-end stability discussion has gotten out of hand,” he told France’s Auto Hebdo.
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“If you look at the cars I drove at Red Bull or in my early days at Ferrari, the rear end was sometimes a bit nervous.
“I don’t think I’m any more vulnerable than anyone else in this area.”
Vettel then explained why, in some cases, a tail-happy car can often be better.
“I don’t like it when the car is really understeering. With oversteer, you have room to make moves,” he continued.
“With understeer, there are some driving techniques, but your hands are a bit less free. I like it better when the rear end is loose a bit, it helps you turn.
“Obviously if the rear is very unstable, you lose a lot of time and nobody likes that.
“Every car has its own unique behaviour and everyone has their own preferences, but if you are happy and satisfied with everything that is going on around you, you can adapt very quickly, master the car and push it to its limits in one way or another.”
