Sebastian Vettel said he had significant handling problems in his Ferrari after spinning and finishing fifth in the Bahrain Grand Prix.
Although the Ferrari driver took the lead at the start of the race he said he quickly discovered his car was not handling well.“It was very difficult,” he said. “I realised after more or less half a lap after the start that it would be very difficult. The car was extremely difficult to drive for me.
“I think Charles [Leclerc] struggled less and he had no difficult to follow and pass me. It was quite tricky.
“The second stint I think we calmed down a little bit with the medium tyres but overall not the pace that we should have had today.”
Vettel was overtaken by Leclerc and then came under attack from Lewis Hamilton. When the Mercedes overtook Vettel on the outside of turn four the Ferrari driver spun, and lost his front wing as he returned to the pits.
“Obviously it was very close,” said Vettel, who accepted responsibility for the spin. “I tried to get back on the inside just like the lap before.
“I think turn four was one of the trickiest corners. It was my mistake, I lost the rear, then I spun, and I think during the spin I damaged the tyres so much that I had quite a lot of vibrations which then I think led on to the failure of the front wing.”
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2019 F1 season
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Sham (@sham)
31st March 2019, 18:53
I don’t often resort to acronyms, but LOL.
magon4 (@magon4)
31st March 2019, 18:55
what is so funny?
Sham (@sham)
31st March 2019, 19:05
Everyone’s car was hard to drive in the conditions today. He was the only driver in the top 3 teams to make a major mistake. His mistake was the worst of anyone in the entire field. And he does it constantly.
He is now, and always has been one of the worst F1 drivers when it comes to actual racing. His only point of success is being fat when under no pressure. It’s gotten to the point where it’s not surprising and it’s just amusing.
So… The fact that he and his fans still think he is a decent driver is what’s so funny.
Dean
31st March 2019, 19:05
The continual screw ups by Ferrari and VET? Who knows though? He could be LOLing at Brundles and Croftys terrible commentary? Both are good shouts.
Panagiotis Papatheodorou (@panagiotism-papatheodorou)
31st March 2019, 18:54
Well, the entire floor had damage. Lost the rear which cost him time. Extremely unlucky with the front wing, could have still finished P2 behind Lewis if Leclerc still had a problem. Luck wasn’t with Ferrari’s side today.
Dean
31st March 2019, 19:08
When do we stop calling this incidents with Ferrari bad luck? It happens so often that there is a valid question to be answered, no?
Sviat
31st March 2019, 21:33
It depends. If you’re a fanatic of Vettel, then it’s bad luck and “Always Alonso’s fault”. If you’re an F1 fan, then it’s not bad luck, it’s just someone is a bad racer.
Urvaksh (@thedoctor03)
1st April 2019, 6:28
Simple – you judge him at the end of the season. It is just as easy to say “he was lucky to win his 4 WDCs because of the best car” as “he is terrible because he has spun out a lot lately”. I am a massive Vettel fan but I have no qualms in admitting that Charles best him fair and square in equal machinery yesterday. The problem with F1 is that you are only as good as your last race but I feel judgments need to be handed down after the championship is done and dusted. Don’t write him off just yet.
Lee1
1st April 2019, 9:19
Yeah, we can’t write him off as he still has his contract to fall back on and get Ferrari to stop Leclerc beating him..
TigerTank
1st April 2019, 8:17
Good luck is when there’s no hurting consequence of an incident.
It’s nothing more to it than an observation.
dan
31st March 2019, 19:01
Overrated most stable car on the grid by far the way the car behaves reminds me of Buttons steering imput. All one motion. What we do no is exposed volume 2 is on its way and i love it. How embarassing Raikonnen(1 win in his return with Ferrari) and Vettel with one of the easiest teammates not winning a title and its now arguble not winning 2. That Ferrar was defo faster than over half the races last year so Vet should have been WC. Leclerc probably would have won the title as a rookie lol. Well done to Hamilton made his own luck if he did not pass Vettel, Vettel would have won.
Joao (@johnmilk)
31st March 2019, 19:02
Vettel makes it too easy for me. I will abstain, there is no fun in it anymore
Phylyp (@phylyp)
31st March 2019, 19:19
@johnmilk – LOL :)
Jeffrey (@jeffreyj)
31st March 2019, 23:12
Hahahaha! yeah…. I guess you are right.
dan
31st March 2019, 19:03
Thank god we have a benchamrk in the Ferrari finally. All we would have heard today is how Hamilton has it easy and Merc are still fastest.
knightameer (@knightameer)
31st March 2019, 23:23
One has to wonder how good actually the redbulls were when he won those 4 straight championships.. Looking at him now, He either needs webber or raikonnen as team mates to look good. An alonso in the last two Ferrari cars would have been champion.
Andy Bunting (@wildbiker)
31st March 2019, 19:04
Ssshhh! Just Ssshhh!
Fer no.65 (@fer-no65)
31st March 2019, 19:16
It was a massive, massive facepalm. How many times has this happened? Since Monza, he’s looked like an amateur. No other driver spun by himself like that today if I remember correctly. And he’s a 4 time world champion. I don’t remember anyone spinning like that so often in so few races, always battling for position. Not even the meme that Maldonado has become.
With Leclerc looking like a veteran today and outpacing him, I just cannot see Seb beating him in the standings after Abu Dhabi. Yes, it was only one race, but Charles putting pressure on him like today, it’s going to break him badly.
If I were a Ferrari fan I’d be fuming
toiago (@toiago)
31st March 2019, 19:31
@fer-no65 – Agree with everything except that very last phrase, because if Leclerc ends up delivering on the potential he showed last year and especially today, Ferrari will finally have found their man, and Vettel either becomes their 2nd driver or they replace him with someone else at the end of the year. It just makes it sadder to think about the past 2 seasons, where the car was there or thereabouts to be champion and Vettel failed to deliver (namely last year).
Sviat
31st March 2019, 21:35
Ferrari actually had the man to beat everyone, they simply forget to give him the machinery capable of winning regularly, not when that Spaniard draws a rabbit from a hat.
kurt roberts
31st March 2019, 21:57
Midseason swap with Avocado. Pleazz.
knightameer (@knightameer)
31st March 2019, 23:25
+1 Alonso in the last two seasons’ Ferraris would have champion or atleast would have fought better.
David BR (@david-br)
31st March 2019, 23:30
Alonso leaves, Ferrari are suddenly contenders. Alonso leaves, McLaren are suddenly fighting high up in the midfield. No idea why, but there seems to be a pattern.
David BR (@david-br)
31st March 2019, 23:28
It’s true that since Monza Vettel has seemed kind of disheartened and detached from the whole thing. Saying he’d have preferred Kimi to stay was maybe too much of a giveaway, I think, too revealing of a basic lack of confidence in himself. Still, it’s not what I expected for this season, I thought he’d be in another frame of mind. Clearly he’s a multiple champion and his a lot of resilience. He’ll put in some good performances I’m sure. But those pressure situations like today, when he lost traction racing with Hamilton? They’re obviously going to keep on happening. It’s going to be a long season for him.
juan fanger (@juan-fanger)
1st April 2019, 3:04
Well, not during the race. But those in-laps can be very tricky.
Todfod (@todfod)
31st March 2019, 19:31
This guy is just a shabby driver. He had the lead, but not the pace to keep a driver in the same machinery behind him. Then he didn’t have the pace to keep a driver in a slower car behind him. Then to top it all off.. he spins while going wheel to wheel racing.. for like the 4th time in 10 races.
Ferrari can do so much better with another driver in his seat.
MrBoerns (@mrboerns)
31st March 2019, 19:45
I wonder why I have a feeling like I know who you are thinking about
Jeffrey (@jeffreyj)
31st March 2019, 23:15
I wouldn’t say he’s ‘shabby’ but he’s definitely a 2nd tier driver compared to great champions like Hamilton, Senna, Prost and even Hakkinen and Mansell.
Pete
1st April 2019, 1:24
You forgot Alonso…
Jeffrey (@jeffreyj)
1st April 2019, 17:29
Yep, my bad.
Daves
1st April 2019, 1:22
And that driver is available and would surely drive for a fraction of his worth to sit in that seat.
LEC would learn from him and probably win the WDC and Red would win a WCC and F1 ratings would benefit – it’s a win win win situation.
Enough of the waiting for Seb to start performing like a former WDC – he’s done.
I say JUST DO IT :)
Carlos Medrano (@carlosmedrano)
31st March 2019, 19:52
Why do ferrari keep paying this idiot millions of dollars when alonso who is twice as fast and three times as consistent as vettel would work for half the money
Adam (@rocketpanda)
31st March 2019, 19:54
I’m sure Vettel is cursed. If it can go wrong, it does.
JammyB
31st March 2019, 22:37
How is he cursed? He spun out trying to defend too hard, flat spotted his tyres, then lost his front wing from the vibrations of the flat spots. All of his own making, no excuses.
Lee1
1st April 2019, 9:23
Yep, like when his car took over from him and rammed Hamilton…
Niefer (@niefer)
31st March 2019, 20:15
Oh shut up, Vettel!
Just get your head together asap.
Totally embarrassing.
Big Joe
31st March 2019, 20:29
Vettel now is like Hamilton was at McLaren after 2008, except he doesn’t play the race card.
Joao (@johnmilk)
31st March 2019, 21:06
He didn’t play the cards in the race either
MrBoerns (@mrboerns)
31st March 2019, 21:16
WeeeeeUuuuh WeeeeeUuuuuuh did somebody call the firebrigade? because we have a sick buuurn over here!
David BR (@david-br)
31st March 2019, 23:36
Because you know what it’s like to have been the first black competitor in your sport? Indeed one of the few black people in the entire industry represented by Formula 1? No, thought not.
RB13
31st March 2019, 23:49
@david-br well said. This guy is just a troll who probably voted leave.
Didi
3rd April 2019, 6:19
What does wanting to escape the EU dictatorship machine have anything to do with his comments? Or are you reaching like some to tar people?
OOliver
31st March 2019, 20:34
I’m not one of Vettel’s greatest fans, especially with the way he behaved towards Webber and that arrogance.
But I kind of feel sorry for him. It’s only one race, but Leclerc had the composure of a multiple world champion both on and off the track and seems to have sucked all the air from the room.
I don’t know if Vettel can handle another defeat like this.
It’s not going to be easy.
GtisBetter (@)
31st March 2019, 20:35
I’ll just going to wait a couple of races to judge Vettel. Usually there isn’t such a big difference between drivers, except when they have very different strategies. I know Leclerc is fast, but he is not 0.3-0.5 faster then Vettel.
Ben Rowe (@thegianthogweed)
31st March 2019, 21:05
This is what I think. It could just have been an off weekend for Vettel like Hamilton in Russia in 2017. I’m not saying people suggesting Le3clerc will beat Vettel are going to be wrong, but it is too early to jump to conclusions. We have had 2 races. Vettel looked pretty comfortable in qualifying and most of the race too. In the end, he was a bit slow though. This was a weekend where Leclerc looked totally in control. But Bottas looked totally in control last race. 1 or even 2 races do not show you are going to be better than a multiple world champion over the whole season. Wait until at least a 3rd of the way into the season where it is obvious who is more consistently ahead. I personally still think Vettel is overall going to be able to manage to beat Leclerc, but Leclerc will keep improving I think.
Niefer (@niefer)
31st March 2019, 21:38
@passingisoverrated You are absolutely right. The point, though, is that he is screwing up regularly. There is just no excuse for that any more.
edvaldo
1st April 2019, 1:42
he is not half a second faster than Vettel but he will be if Vettel has trouble with the set up and handling of his car.
And that happened 2 times out of 2 races already.
Charles seems to have a wider set of tools to perform accordingly, cuz Ferrari is going to have other weekends like this and Australia, and they need to do better if their goal is the championship.
OOliver
31st March 2019, 20:55
Well how did Vettel manage to not set his car right.
Or Leclerc is right on top of the car and can easily smoothen out any rough edges.
José Lopes da Silva
31st March 2019, 22:15
Unlike football, where everyone praises Maradona for a limited number of very high profile seasons and a goal that wouldn’t pass under today’s VAR, in Formula One you evaluate an F1 driver for his entire career. The sport has 5 tetra-champions, all of them very highly rated. It’s not good for the sport to have a tetra-champion to underperform this way.
But at least it is sport, and Vettel is not a Team Owner like Stroll who cannot be ousted nor replaced.
Jim rustle
1st April 2019, 1:05
After 2014 and 2018, this year will be the end of his legacy.
ADUB SMALLBLOCK (@waptraveler)
1st April 2019, 1:18
I find this comment from Vettel strange. Even the commentators were noting how much better hs car looked turning into corners than Hamilton’s.
ADUB SMALLBLOCK (@waptraveler)
1st April 2019, 1:18
“His” car.
Ajanu (@ajanu)
1st April 2019, 1:42
They commented the front of Vettel’s car looked better. That implies the rear is looser, and apparently loose enough to spin under lateral load under power. No one outside of Ferrari knows if Seb used more power than usual and caused the spin. At this point though, he needs to start setting up his car for rear grip, just like Red Bull used to run less downforce to compensate for the lack of power. Maybe not the ultimate pace, but between Merc and LeClerc he will be fighting all year.
juan fanger (@juan-fanger)
1st April 2019, 3:12
When Seb first joined Ferrari there was a lot of talk about how he likes a planted rear while Kim prefers a bit of over-steer, and the compromises to set-up that might be involved to satisfy both. Vettel would probably swap a planted front-end with more consistency at the back. (Less spins that way.)
The limit
1st April 2019, 3:36
Although Leclerc did not win, his performance over Vettel this weekend could prove important at a later stage in deciding who Ferrari ‘support’ in the championship. In the buildup to the Australian Grands Prix, Leclerc stressed that it was up to him to beat Vettel to determine which driver has #1 status within the team.
The risk for Sebastian is that if he continues to make these mistakes, and Charles Leclerc does not, Ferrari at some stage are going to have to make a decision.
Ferrari allowed their drivers to race in Bahrain, which was a pleasant surprise, and may indicate that they are not convinced that Vettel is the surest bet to challenge Mercedes.
Leclerc is the real deal, as is Lando Norris, who really impressed me again today. Sebastian has to put the big boy pants on quick or else, because making the same mistakes time after time will only be tolerated for so long.
lunaslide (@lunaslide)
1st April 2019, 6:04
Kimi is highly regarded for his feedback in setting up a car. Antonio also got high praise working the simulator for Ferrari last season. Are Ferrari really missing both of them at this point? How much did Seb rely on Kimi’s setup data? I’m not inclined to jump to conclusions on such a small data set, but these will be interesting questions to ask as the season develops.
Jabbadap
1st April 2019, 12:07
Why did they took Vettel in so soon on the second time though. It would have been risky let Hamilton pass with undercut, but Vettel would have had better rubber to the end of the race so he could have change to overtake Ham again. Why only Redbull is brave enough to do things like that is beyond me.
Wrc
1st April 2019, 13:25
I’m a vettel fan and always will be.
Phillip Cristaldi
1st April 2019, 22:30
Most overrated driver in f1. Cracks under pressure, has never delivered in an underperforming car. The Ferrari was the most dominant car all weekend, Vetell was second to Charles all weekend and should have been there to pick up the pieces when Charles had engine issues. Instead vetell cracked under pressure again. A driver beting paid 30mil a year does not hold the record of most driver errors in a season. Vetell did that in 2018, had a truck load of errors in 2017 and 2 races in done the same. He runs out of talent. Alonso always made the point put vetell in a car equal on pace or within a couple of 10ths and he gets destroyed fact don’t lie. Ham Ver Ric would have all challenged and won the title in the 2018 Ferrari. Vetell went on to lose 60 odd points. in driver errors alone. He should be sacked from Ferrari.