Australian GP: Vergne blames Toro Rosso for wrong tyre call
Jean-Eric Vergne said his team Toro Rosso team was responsible for the incorrect call to take slick tyres in Q2 in Melbourne
Vergne had looked set to reach Q3 as he showed strong pace in damp conditions, but ended up being one of just four drivers to go for slicks in the second segment.
That proved to be the wrong choice. Although Vergne ended up the best placed of those who stayed on slicks to the end of Q2, that left him only 13th on the grid.
The Frenchman said he had wanted to stay on intermediates, but assumed Toro Rosso had better information than him.
"Qualifying was going quite well on my first run," said Vergne.
"However, when I came into the pits after the long first run on intermediates, I was expecting to fit the same type of tyres again. But the team opted to put me on slicks.
"I believed they had a better picture of the situation than I did, but it turned out to be the wrong choice and cost me a chance to get into Q3, which is a shame."
Vergne's team-mate Daniel Ricciardo starts beside him on row seven.
AUTOSPORT Australian GP coverage:
FP1 FP2 FP3 Qualifying Race Gallery Live commentary Official quotes
Share Or Save This Story
Hamilton accepts blame for incident with Albon in F1 Brazilian GP
Ferrari drivers called to F1 stewards over Brazilian GP collision
Will Alonso's Indy failure end the age of versatility?
Why Peugeot swapped Vergne for Vandoorne in WEC 2026
Vandoorne set for Peugeot return in WEC 2026 replacing Vergne
Formula E champions look back: Electric world championship turns 10
Permane signs new Racing Bulls F1 deal
Piastri out of F1 Mexico GP points after post-race penalty for Lindblad clash
Why Lindblad hasn’t felt the pressure in F1
Why Russell was so angry in Brazilian GP qualifying despite already having a grid penalty
Hamilton insists Ferrari tensions with Leclerc are over: "We've squashed it"
F1 Brazilian GP: Norris splashes to pole from Russell
LIVE: F1 Brazilian GP updates - Norris splashes to pole from Russell
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
Top Comments