Vettel "tried to take risks" before Russian GP qualifying crash
Vettel "tried to take risks" before Russian GP qualifying crash
Sebastian Vettel has conceded his Russian Grand Prix qualifying smash was as a result of him taking more risks to compensate for the lack of pace with his Ferrari.
Late in the Q2 session, the four-time F1 champion lost the rear-end through turn four at the Sochi Autodrom, hitting a barrier and coming to rest in the middle of the track.
After expressing optimism following a much-improved performance in final practice, Vettel has revealed the car became worse before qualifying.
"I lost the car," said Vettel. "Already, in turn two I lost the car and then in turn four, I lost it again. I couldn't catch it.
"I was struggling, especially in the first sector. I tried to take more risks. I lost the car in two and again in four so I am not happy, obviously, but compared to the morning we struggled quite a bit in the afternoon."
Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc was one of the drivers to fall foul of the scramble at the end of Q2 after Vettel's car had been cleared away.
The Monégasque was unable to fully prepare his tyres for his final run due to the time constraints as drivers jostled for position to try and improve, eventually qualifying 11th.
Leclerc, however, was lucky to even have attempted a final run after narrowly avoiding his team-mate as he crashed.
"It was quite scary but hopefully, he is fine and it is not much worse than that," he said.
"Now it is more the disappointment of not going through into Q3. I thought I had no margins at all but there was actually quite a bit of margin and I could have taken a bigger gap to the car in front.
"It is frustrating but it is life. On a positive front, we are starting 11th, we are the first of the cars to choose our tyres for tomorrow so hopefully, we can benefit from it."
Before you go...
Russia "the worst place to be on pole" - Hamilton
Verstappen "very pleased" with unexpected Russian GP front-row qualifying
Related
Change your timezone:
Latest News
McLaren leading fight for HUGE cash injection
- 43 minutes ago
Newey set to announce STUNNING Red Bull departure
- Today 17:57
Newey Red Bull exit wish CONFIRMED as F1 guru's reasons revealed
- 1 hour ago
F1 legend reveals 'FLOOD' of death threats after controversial decision
- 2 hours ago
Adrian Newey: The life and career of Red Bull's departing genius
- 3 hours ago
Sky Sports F1 pundit dumbfounded by key Ferrari decision
- 3 hours ago
- 2
Related news
Sky Sports F1 pundit dumbfounded by key Ferrari decision
F1 giants announce name change with IMMEDIATE effect
Ferrari announce HUGE F1 change to iconic red livery
F1 team 'set to announce MEGA signing' in major Red Bull challenge
F1 Standings
Drivers
- Oliver Bearman
- Charles Leclerc
- Carlos Sainz
- Lando Norris
- Oscar Piastri
- Pierre Gasly
- Esteban Ocon
- Sergio Pérez
- Max Verstappen
- Alexander Albon
- Logan Sargeant
- Lewis Hamilton
- George Russell
- Nico Hülkenberg
- Kevin Magnussen
- Fernando Alonso
- Lance Stroll
- Valtteri Bottas
- Zhou Guanyu
- Daniel Ricciardo
- Yuki Tsunoda
Races
- Gulf Air Grand Prix of Bahrain 2024
- Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Australia 2024
- MSC Cruises Grand Prix of Japan 2024
- Grand Prix of China 2024
- Miami Grand Prix 2024
- Gran Premio dell'Emilia Romagna 2024
- Grand Prix of Monaco 2024
- Grand Prix du Canada 2024
- Gran Premio de España 2024
- Grand Prix of Austria 2024
- Grand Prix of Great Britain 2024
- Grand Prix of Hungary 2024
- Grand Prix of Belgium 2024
- Heineken Dutch Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Italy 2024
- Grand Prix of Azerbaijan 2024
- Grand Prix of Singapore 2024
- Grand Prix of the United States 2024
- Gran Premio de la Ciudad de Mexico 2024
- Grande Prêmio de São Paulo 2024
- Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix 2024
- Qatar Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi 2024
About GPFans
GPFans is a multi-platform, multi-language brand dedicated to Formula One coverage. We bring you all the ins and outs of the sport, 24/7, everything from up-to-the-minute news and features to the latest viral stories and clips.We believe that a new generation of exciting, outspoken drivers will make F1 more popular than ever before, and we want to give our users access to as much of their heroes as possible, on and off the track. From Lewis Hamilton to Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo to Sebastian Vettel, we provide in-depth analysis of every every Grand Prix in the season, from Australia to Abu Dhabi.
With Formula One under the new ownership of Liberty Media, how the sport is being covered is evolving, and GPFans will look to be at the heart of this progression into new media, as one of the fastest-growing sites covering the king of motorsports.
Follow us on your favorite social media channel
Corporate & Media
Innovatieweg 20C7007 CD, Doetinchem, Netherlands
+31645516860