Australian GP: Wehrlein defends withdrawal from F1 season-opener
Sauber Formula 1 driver Pascal Wehrlein has defended his withdrawal from the Australian Grand Prix, and stressed it is not a recurrence of his back injury
Wehrlein missed the first pre-season test at Barcelona after hurting his back in a crash at the Race of Champions in January.
Though Wehrlein returned for the second week of testing in Spain, he was limited to half-day appearances and did not complete more than 10 flying laps at a time.
He was declared fit to compete this weekend by the FIA on Thursday, but said he developed fears in Friday practice he would struggle to perform over a race distance.
Pressed on why he would not persevere through the pain, as drivers have done in the past, Wehrlein replied: "Every situation is different. I had a back injury and I couldn't train as hard as I wanted and that is it.
"So every situation is different. We are not feeling comfortable to race this weekend."
He added: "The injury happened, I think, nine weeks ago, and that was the time where you just have to prepare as good as you can for the season.
"The injury took me a step backwards, of course, and now I'm just catching up.
"I felt like everything was OK, but just not for the whole race distance.
"You never drive under race circumstances, and yesterday in the car in the long run you feel it more than in testing or in shorter runs."
Wehrlein told the Sauber team of his concerns during its post-FP2 briefing and Ferrari agreed that its third driver Antonio Giovinazzi could replace him.
Team principal Monisha Kaltenborn has already claimed Wehrlein would return for the Chinese Grand Prix, and she said the team wanted to respect his decision.
"For the team it matters what the driver says and if the driver is not 100% there to deliver the way the driver also wants to," she said.
"We will not take any unnecessary risks here. We cope with it and we find a solution which should work with us."
Previous article
Australian GP: Sauber F1's Pascal Wehrlein replaced by Giovinazzi
Next article
F1 Australian GP: Ferrari driver Vettel fastest in final practice
About this article
| Series | Formula 1 |
| Drivers | Pascal Wehrlein |
| Author | Adam Cooper |
How F1’s street track return can offer Verstappen redemption
Red Bull has failed to capitalise on having the best car in the opening rounds. BEN EDWARDS thinks change is around the corner
The AlphaTauri improvements that mean Gasly’s form is no fluke
Pierre Gasly has driven superbly since demotion from Red Bull in 2019, but the team formerly known as Toro Rosso has come on strong too – building a car that can often challenge Ferrari and McLaren. Here Gasly reveals to ALEX KALINAUCKAS how AlphaTauri has given him the tools needed to rebuild his reputation
Why Bottas feels the time has come to be “more selfish”
We’ve seen five distinct versions of Valtteri Bottas at Mercedes as he’s tried to fulfil his own ambitions while being a consummate team player – two difficult, competing missions which have been challenging to reconcile. Speaking exclusively to STUART CODLING, Bottas explains his highs and lows… and why he still believes he can be world champion
Does Aston have a case in F1 2021’s big technical row?
Aston Martin claims Formula 1’s latest technical tweaks have cost it competitiveness – and that it’s the innocent victim of a regulatory stitch-up aimed at pegging back Mercedes. But is any of this actually true? It depends on who you ask, says STUART CODLING
How long can F1 2021's brewing title battle stay clean?
Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen have been evenly matched so far in the 2021 Formula 1 title race. Neither has been afraid to get aggressive against each other on track, teeing up an enthralling contest as the year unwinds. But is their rivalry destined to end in broken shards of carbon fibre?
What the Spain result tells F1 about the next phase of the Mercedes/Red Bull title fight
OPINION: Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes have recovered from their pre-season woes to take three wins from the opening four races of 2021. But each time Red Bull and Max Verstappen have pushed them hard. So, what clues did the latest round of that battle – the Spanish Grand Prix – tease about the next stage of the season?
How Brabham’s one-hit wonder was boxed into a corner
The Brabham BT46B raced once, won once, then vanished – or did it? STUART CODLING reveals the story of the car which was never actually banned…
The changes Barcelona needs to provide a modern-day F1 spectacle
Formula 1’s visits to Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya over recent years have been met with familiar criticisms despite tweaks here and there to the track to improve racing. With the 2021 Spanish Grand Prix largely going the same way, proper solutions need to be followed to achieve F1’s wider targets
