F1: Ferrari's gearbox problems 'a concern'

Maurizio Arrivabene admits three problems with Ferrari's gearbox during the last two Formula 1 grands prix is a concern.

Sebastian Vettel had a five-place grid penalty in Austria after Ferrari found a problem and changed his gearbox, and then had issues in the first and third practice sessions at Silverstone, the latter of which required another change and penalty.

All three problems are understood to be different, with investigations on the latest two already under way at Maranello.

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"It's the third time we have this problem and it's a concern," said Arrivabene. "It's something we need to solve as soon as possible. It's early to give any specific news but I suspect that it is related to the material.

"I hope it is not related to the calculation."

Vettel threw his arms up in frustration after suffering a gearbox problem for the second time in as many days on Saturday morning at Silverstone, but Arrivabene said he understood the German's frustration.

"He's not a robot, he's a human being," he said. "For me it's absolutely normal."

With Kimi Raikkonen finishing fifth and Vettel ninth, Ferrari dropped further behind Mercedes in the constructors' championship while Red Bull closed to within six points.

Arrivabene has conceded the SF16-H has "proven to be very sensitive to set-up changes" while reliability has been a problem throughout the season.

When asked if Ferrari is planning on introducing any major updates in a bid to catch Mercedes, Arrivabene said: "I hope so. At this stage of the season, you can't have unbelievable upgrades.

"First of all, you have to fix certain problems, to make the car balance work properly and then you can upgrade."

Originally on Autosport.com