A final lap too aggressive for Vettel

“In the end we just weren't fast enough. » Disappointment and frustration were clearly evident in the statements of Sebastian Vettel at the end of the qualifications. The German driver and his teammate Kimi Räikkönen could not do better than a third row this Saturday evening in Austin, Texas.

Already ahead of the Red Bulls in testing, the SF16-Hs were unable to improve their position against the RB12s, the closest rivals of the Mercedes peak. The former resident of Milton Keynes I hope that the Grand Prix tomorrow can bring a little more satisfaction to the Italian clan.

“Sure, we can try and look at different things, learn from today, move forward, admits Vettel. Of course, we are not happy with the gap to the cars in front of us. »

The winner of the 2013 United States Grand Prix also admits that he does not have any understanding of the lack of performance of his car, but admits on the other hand that he could have done better in Q3 on a personal level.

“It wasn't the best session for me. Overall it was pretty good, the car was very good. But certainly in Q3 I could have done a better lap, but at the end of the day, obviously we are lacking a bit compared to the cars in front. I think tomorrow might be another day.

Probably in my last lap I was a little too aggressive. There are a few questions left at this point, at least as to why we were so competitive in the fast corners at Suzuka and here we are behind on that point. But here again, we are lacking performance in all sectors. »

Sebastian Vettel also hopes to be able to rely on his tire strategy for the race. “There is always a chance of outsmarting others, but I think we have to adapt. The strategy is set for the start, with the sets of tires retained, but we kept a few sets of new tires, so we'll see. It could be an interesting race. Tire degradation is still significant and could play a big role tomorrow. »