Vettel laments "painful" power unit failure
Vettel laments "painful" power unit failure
Aston Martin driver Sebastian Vettel has lamented the "painful" power unit failure that cost him the entire second practice session for the Australian Grand Prix.
Vettel missed the opening two events of the F1 season after contracting Covid-19 and lost out on further track time at a revamped Albert Park when he ground to a halt at in the closing stages of the opening session of the weekend.
The AMR22 was seen smoking and the resultant power unit change ensured the four-time champion would remain confined to his garage for the entirety of FP2.
Explaining his stoppage, Vettel said: “We had a problem, there was a bit of smoke and I lost power and we had to stop the car on the track and I did the best I could to limit the damage and get it off the track as soon as possible.
“It stopped our running, which was painful and unfortunately cost us the whole session in the afternoon, which is not ideal. I haven’t been in the car for a while, plus the track is different. It will be fine tomorrow but it would have been nice to get more laps"
Asked if it could be a long-running problem, he added: “I don’t think [so]. At this stage, we are very early, and the way it works, even if something brakes and you have a spare engine or spare parts, it has no impact. That’s the way the rules are.”
Vettel – no problem getting “in the rhythm”
It has been a disappointing start to the season for Aston Martin with no points gained in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia and whilst Vettel said it was “good to be back in the car” for the first time since the final pre-season testing session in Bahrain, he struggled to find much improvement since then.
“It [the car] felt more or less where we left it in Bahrain," he added.
"Obviously, some bits changed and a lot of work since then, but [also] a different track so it was a bit of both, getting myself back in the rhythm, getting used to the new layout here, the new tarmac.
"I don’t think it was a big problem to get back in the rhythm, I felt quite comfortable quite quickly.”
Daily Poll - Who will win the Australian Grand Prix?
Change your timezone:
Latest News
Hamilton in Arsenal title wish after STUNNING revelation
- 42 minutes ago
F1 boss 'in early talks' to SELL 25 percent of team
- 1 hour ago
Will F1 hopeful Antonelli replace Sargeant from Imola?
- 2 hours ago
F1 News Today: Hamilton dealt major Newey blow as Red Bull chief makes BRUTAL admission
- 3 hours ago
Schumacher reveals how Mercedes could snare Verstappen
- Today 11:42
Red Bull chief in BRUTAL putdown of key F1 feature
- Today 10:59
Related news
'Disaster waiting to happen': F1 star demands FIA safety OVERHAUL after terrifying crash
F1 pundit claims Mercedes HARSHLY treated by rivals
Kravitz attacked with CAKE in Ferrari celebrations
Perez makes HUGE Verstappen claim to give rivals title hope
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