Vettel handicapped by safety car

Sebastian Vettel, 2nd in the Chinese GP behind Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes), saw his race disrupted by the entry onto the track of the safety car following the accident of Antonio Giovinazzi (Sauber). The pilot Ferrari fell to 5th place after putting on slick tires as soon as the “virtual safety car” was implemented following the abandonment of Lance stroll (Williams) hit in the first lap by Sergio Pérez (Force India).

“My start was good and then I realized that the intermediate tires were deteriorating quickly. It was dry on parts of the track and I knew they weren't going to hold, said Sebastian Vettel. I was happy to take the risk because I had gained a little time during my stop under the virtual safety car, but then the safety car entered the track when I felt the slicks were faster. I couldn't take advantage of it and lost several places. »

Sebastian Vettel subsequently lost time by staying behind his teammate Kimi Räikkönen for 15 laps before then attacking the Red Bull RB13 Daniel Ricciardo.

“Lewis was above all fast. They had a very good race and there is no point wondering if I would have a chance to threaten him without being blocked behind Kimi Räikkönen. I am very happy with this result. Beyond the points collected, I am especially delighted with this race which was very fun for me where I was able to overtake several times”, added Sebastian Vettel who finished 6s behind Lewis Hamilton.

Sebastian Vettel now shares the championship lead with Lewis Hamilton after the first two Grands Prix of the season.

Discover the analysis of the Chinese Grand Prix carried out by our special correspondents in issue 2109 of AUTOhebdo, available from Monday evening in digital version on all platforms, and from Wednesday on newsstands.