BELIEVING his Ferrari still lacks the race pace to fully challenge Mercedes in Formula One, Sebastian Vettel will take a little luck when he can get it.

Yesterday, at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, his Ferrari team benefitted not only from a smart pit-stop strategy but also the fortuitous emergence of a safety car midway through the race that helped Vettel take the lead from rival Lewis Hamilton and hold on for victory.

“We got a bit lucky but we’ll take it,” Vettel said. “We’re not yet there where we want to be. But I think it gives us a good start, a good wind and fresh motivation for the coming weeks.”