Vettel: “I lost the podium behind Massa”

Struggling in qualifying with the grip of the Pirelli tires, Sebastian Vettel failed on Sunday in a race in the streets of the Principality in his quest for a podium. Beaten at the end of the event by the Force India of Sergio Pérez, whom he was never able to attack, the four-time world champion confessed to having missed an opportunity earlier in the Grand Prix.

“I think I could have done better when I stopped and came out behind Felipe (Massa), specifies Vettel. We had a good strategy, but it was up to me to find a way through. I think I lost the podium at that point. Behind him, I was on Intermediate tires, it was very slippery, and very easy to make a mistake but I think I could have managed to overtake. »

Best time in FP3, and potentially engaged in a three-way standoff with the Mercedes and Red Bull de Daniel Ricciardo for pole position, Vettel was unable to achieve this during qualifying, but believes that the Team Ferrari had the pace to achieve a much better result.

“We were very fast this weekend, the pit stops were fantastic. But the rest, on the track, is up to me to accomplish and I'm sorry not to be on the podium. I tried everything to close the gap to Pérez, and I came very close twice. We got some good points and  there is a lot more to come. » concludes the former Red Bull driver.

Find the full report and analysis of the Monaco Grand Prix, produced by our special correspondents in the Principality, in AUTO issue 2065hebdo, available from 22 p.m. this evening in digital version, and from this Wednesday on newsstands.