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Arrivabene says Formula 1 has answered its critics

15:20, 11 Apr 2018

byAdam Newton

Maurizio Arrivabene, Ferrari team principal has hit back at those that have called the sport boring in recent weeks after a gripping Bahrain GP.

Sebastian Vettel eventually took the chequered flag in Sakhir as he defended a late attack from Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas.

The Bahrain Grand Prix was a much better advertisement for Formula One than Melbourne’s season opener, and Arrivabene has questioned those who criticised the sport, saying: “I think it was a great race of Sebastian and the race, it was full of adrenaline, it was a good answer to the people saying that Formula One is boring.

“The result, with a win for Sebastian, is confirmation of the great job done by the team, of an effective car and of a driver who drove like a true champion right to the very end.”

Arrivabene also had words of support for the mechanic who was injured during Kimi Raikkonen’s pit stop.

We chose to take one of our mechanics up onto the podium as a mark of respect to our colleague Francesco who was injured during the pit stop,” he said.

“The whole team hopes he recovers quickly. We are already preparing for the next race in China and as usual we will give it our all.”