Sebastian Vettel seeking redemption at Hockenheim after 2018 crash

Sebastian Vettel

Vettel seeking redemption at Hockenheim after 2018 crash

The German's home race!

Martin Macdonald

Tuesday 23 July 2019 12:44

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Sebastian Vettel is hoping to redeem himself for Ferrari and the German fans at the race at Hockenheim this weekend, after he surrendered the race victory by crashing out whilst in P1 in the 2018 edition of the German Grand Prix.

The Ferrari man took pole position in qualifying for the 2018 race, and seemed poised to claim the flag only to lock-up his rear breaks on lap 52 whilst braking into Turn 12, which saw him crash into the barriers to the side of the track. A safety car period was established and his race was over in front of his home crowd.

After that race he admitted his mistake, and is looking to make it right in 2019.

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“We have got to make up for last year, especially myself and I look forward to racing in Hockenheim,” he told the official Formula 1 Ferrari site.

“The atmosphere is always phenomenal and the crowd is great. I remember a lot of German flags around the track from last year, which I really enjoyed.”

Assessing the Hockenheimring track itself, Vettel reckons that Turn 1 is probably going to cause some issues for the drivers on the day.

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“In terms of the track, it looks quite simple and straightforward at first sight. Especially the last part is very enjoyable but it is also very technical entering the Motodrom. There are a lot of fans there and I think that’s definitely the highlight of the track.

“I would say that turn 1 is probably one of the most tricky corners. It is very fast and is over before you notice, so it is important to get a good feeling straight away to set you off on the right foot for the rest of the lap.”

Vettel has had a torrid time in the 2019 F1 season and is currently fourth in the drivers’ championship. In his last race in Great Britain, he finished 16th after crashing into the back of Max Verstappen - an incident he was unable to recover from on the day.