1
Sebastian Vettel admits he is a bit annoyed he didn't spot the damage to his front wing earlier in the race. The wing suffered damage on lap 1 as Max Verstappen went around the outside of the German at turn 1. Verstappen's left rear wheel clipped Vettel's front wing which only began to fall apart at the safety car restart.
Vettel said that if he had spotted it earlier, he would have been able to join onto the back of the safety car group and not lose as much time as he did at the restart. Vettel eventually recovered to finish fourth.
Vettel Reveals the Ferrari Advice He Gave Hamilton
Vettel Enjoying the Title Fight: “Great to See Verstappen Getting Closer”
"With the damage in the beginning it was not ideal," Vettel told Channel 4. "It was bad that we didn’t spot it – I had a little bit of a feel [that there was damage] out of Turn 6 and then the safety car came, but I wasn’t sure because it was the first lap of the race and it was very windy.
"I thought it might have been a gust and the first lap the tyres are not there. We should have spotted [the damage] and got a free pit stop. In the end we did it when everybody was back at pace and we had to catch up for a couple of laps."
Vettel worked his way through the pack and after making an extra pit-stop, he closed up onto the podium fight between Danil Ricciardo and the two Force India's. Vettel passed both Esteban Ocon and Sergio Perez but couldn't get by Ricciardo for the final spot on the podium.
"Coming back to that group at the end of the race was fun," admitted Vettel. "With the two Force Indias it was quite difficult – they were very quick down the straights, and then when you have this phenomenon of cars behind each other all giving each other a tow and you’re at the back end, it’s not easy to create something. Eventually we did, but I wanted that podium. We didn’t get it, so I’ll take fourth."
Fergal Walsh
Azerbaijan Grand Prix
C. Sainz jr
979 members have this team as their favourite
Replies (1)
Login to replyf1fan0101
Posts: 1,804
Perhaps would have got him onto the podium, not a victory though