Poleman on the wire, Vettel promises to “give everything” in the race

The last pole position acquired by Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari) in Singapore corresponded until now with the start of his troubles (abandonment in Singapore and Japan). With the 50th pole of his career in Formula 1 won hard in Mexico City (Mexico), the German hopes to reverse the trend.

To obtain the privilege of starting from the top of the grid on Sunday, Sebastian Vettel had to spit in his gloves. “It was quite a ride I must say!” It makes me very happy,” he declared when he got out of the car. The Ferrari had managed to top the Red Bull de Max Verstappen by nothing, 86 thousandths exactly. “When I saw him going four tenths faster than everyone else, I thought, ‘How can I beat him?’”

The task promised to be difficult, especially since a mistake in the first turns almost cost him dearly. “I thought I would succeed in my first sector, but I crashed at turn 6. I almost lost control of the car, I fell first, but I managed to escape without losing any time,” says the four-time world champion. From then on, he still had to attack until he crossed the line. “I knew it would come down to nothing, but I didn't know what the other drivers were accomplishing. When I knew it was enough to get pole, I exploded with joy! »

The leader of the Scuderia let his joy burst forth after some checkered free practice, punctuated by an explosion of a fire extinguisher in the back of his cockpit on Friday. “Yesterday didn't go very well for us. Overnight, we made quite a few changes that paid off. Our pace in a race situation should be good. » As for his (minimal) chances of winning the Drivers' title, the strategy turns out to be simple. “It all depends on Lewis (Hamilton, 3rd). We will give everything. We deserve a good result but the championship is no longer in our control. »