Spanish GP: Sebastian Vettel to miss second F1 free practice
Sebastian Vettel's Spanish Grand Prix hopes have suffered a blow with the German being forced to miss Friday's second Formula 1 practice session
The German stopped out on track after four laps during Friday morning's first practice session at Barcelona when he suffered an electrical problem.
After his car was returned to the pits, inspection uncovered the fact that a wiring loom had been damaged.
Due to the packaging complications of the current generation of cars, the loom cannot be replaced before second practice, meaning the reigning champion will be out of action until final free practice on Saturday morning.
A short statement from Red Bull said: "The team will use the time to fix it to be ready for FP3 tomorrow."
Red Bull had headed in to this weekend confident that the Barcelona layout and updates to both its car and Renault engine would lift its chances of challenging Mercedes for victory.
Team principal Christian Horner said: "It is a matter of closing the gap in the time that is obviously ticking by.
"Mercedes obviously hit the ground running and we have a lot of work to do to close that gap.
"The guys are working tremendously hard and there is a very strong exchange of information and everybody is very much focused on it."
Previous article
Williams says F1 risks 'serious damage' over costs
Next article
Simona de Silvestro chasing 2015 F1 race drive with Sauber
About this article
| Series | Formula 1 |
| Drivers | Olivier Panis , Sebastian Vettel |
| Author | Jonathan Noble |
Starting Grid for the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix
F1 Fast Facts: Emilia Romagna Grand Prix
How Verstappen and Hamilton’s Imola clash sets the tone for F1’s 2021 title fight
In Max Verstappen's Formula 1 career to date, he has been cast as the 'pretender', an acknowledged top-line performer without the car to regularly challenge Lewis Hamilton. But that no longer applies in 2021, and the start to the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix was the most telling signal yet of what we can expect from their duel this year
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?
