Another Q2 exit as Sebastian Vettel blames "nervous" Ferrari SF1000

Spanish Grand Prix

Another Q2 exit as Vettel blames "nervous" Ferrari SF1000

Vettel failed to qualify for Q3 for the third time this season

Ewan Gale

Saturday 15 August 2020 17:05 Updated: 17:22

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Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel bemoaned the imbalance of the SF1000 after qualifying 11th for the Spanish Grand Prix.

Vettel was once again out-qualified by team-mate Charles Leclerc as he failed to make Q3 for the third time this season.

The four-time champion said it was "tricky", claiming the car got worse through the lap as he struggled to find confidence with the car's balance.

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"The first sector was okay," Vettel told Sky Sports F1. "Then in the middle sector, the car started to be more and more nervous.

"I struggled in particular in turn seven, losing the rear halfway so it was difficult to judge how much speed to carry in.

"Also, turn five was very tricky for me this afternoon. I think that is the middle sector and then the last sector was better towards the end but still very tricky to find the right balance. It was one of the better sessions this weekend, but still not good enough."

When asked if the car had made any positive steps since the Silverstone double-header, Vettel admitted "it is up and down to be honest."

He added: "There are still some things that I can't really put an answer to.

"I am trying to do everything I can and ignore all the things that might not be right and yeah, do the best that I can. That is all that I can do at the moment."

Leclerc also struggled today qualifying ninth, and the Monegasque pinned his issues to the front-end of the car.

"I am just not happy with the car today," said Leclerc, also to Sky Sports F1.

"At least, this morning I was. The beginning of quali it was okay and then it fell out, session after session in quali and didn't have enough front end to rotate the car. We have lost quite a bit of time because of this."

Before you go...

Hamilton pips Mercedes team-mate Bottas to Spanish Grand Prix pole

Hamilton praises "awesome" Mercedes team after another dominant qualifying