Sebastian Vettel says Ferrari 'got worse' in Monaco GP qualifying
Sebastian Vettel declared his Monaco Grand Prix Formula 1 qualifying session a missed opportunity after Ferrari struggled to match Daniel Ricciardo and the Mercedes drivers when it counted
Ferrari appeared to have turned its fortunes around after a difficult Thursday when Vettel topped final practice on Saturday morning.
The German was then fastest in Q1, but he fell back as qualifying progressed and finished the session fourth, nearly one second off the pace.
"I'm really disappointed, because what we did on the car from Thursday to today was really good and we improved it a lot," said Vettel.
"I didn't find the same grip that I found in Q1, it seemed to get worse for us while it got better for everyone else.
"It's disappointing because I missed a good opportunity to start the race potentially from the front tomorrow.
"We were not able to make the normal progress so by the end of qualifying we were fourth, but it could have been a much better result.
"We were not good on Thursday, that's not a secret, but we made a big step forward for today.
"I don't think the laptimes we saw [from others] were out of range, it was just a question of us losing the rhythm.
"We have a great car, great pace, whether we will be able to show that or not depends on how the race unfolds.
"Monaco can be very boring, but it can be very exciting as well."
RAIKKONEN UNSURE AFTER TOUGH DAY
Vettel's team-mate Kimi Raikkonen, who falls from sixth to 11th thanks to a grid penalty for a gearbox change, said it was tough to pinpoint where Ferrari had gone wrong.
"This is where we are, whether we are underperforming or not, I don't know," said the Finn.
"This is a tough start today and we have to deal with it.
"We'll look at how to fix it, maybe normal service will go tomorrow.
"It'll be tough racing tomorrow, there's a lot of cars in front of me, it's hard to pass around here, but we will do our best and see what we can get out of it."
Previous article
Monaco Grand Prix: Magnussen escapes penalty for pit exit red light
Next article
Monaco Grand Prix: Daniil Kvyat's car fails F1 scrutineering
About this article
| Series | Formula 1 |
| Drivers | Sebastian Vettel |
| Teams | Ferrari |
| Author | Ben Anderson |
Starting Grid for the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix
F1 Fast Facts: Emilia Romagna Grand Prix
How “overwhelming” McLaren move has given Ricciardo a new verve
Daniel Ricciardo has found a new lease of life at McLaren – a move that’s been years in the making, as he explains to STUART CODLING…
The German legend who raced and beat Nuvolari
Ninety years ago, Rudolf Caracciola became the first non-Italian to win the epic Mille Miglia. We look at how he stacks up to the most famous pre-war ace Tazio Nuvolari, one of the drivers he beat on that day in 1931
How 2021's midfielders have taken lessons from F1's top teams
Formula 1’s latest Imola adventure turned into an expensive trip for many teams due to several crashes throughout the weekend. While balancing the books is an added factor in 2021 with the cost cap, a few midfield teams have cashed in early on development investments
Emilia Romagna Grand Prix Driver Ratings
A frantic wet race at Imola produced plenty of excitement and drama as drivers scrabbled for grip. Amid the hatful of mistakes and incidents that ensued, who kept their noses cleanest?
How the Emilia Romagna GP result hinged on three crucial saves
Rain before the start of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix promised to spice up the action, and the race certainly delivered on that. Max Verstappen got the best launch to win from Lewis Hamilton, but both got away with mistakes that could have had serious consequences
The back-bedroom world-beater that began a new F1 era
The first in a line of world beaters was designed in a back bedroom and then constructed in a shed. STUART CODLING recalls the Tyrrell 001
The clues Hamilton’s F1 contract afterthought gives to his future
The Formula 1 world reacted with surprise when it learned Lewis Hamilton’s long-awaited new Mercedes deal guarantees his presence on the grid only until the end of 2021. Both parties claimed publicly they were happy with the arrangement but, asks MARK GALLAGHER, is there more to it than that?
How a harshly ejected Red Bull star has been hooked by racing again
Driver-turned-DJ Jaime Alguersuari lost his love for motorsport when he was booted out of Formula 1 just as he was starting to polish his rough edges. Having drifted from category to category then turned his back on racing altogether in 2015, he’s come full circle and is planning a return in karts for fun
