Sebastian Vettel didn’t take enough risks in Q3

Sebastian Vettel knew that the Austrian Grand Prix qualifying would be disappointing since he was guaranteed to lose five places on the grid. Nevertheless, after dominating the third practice session, he could aim for an honorary pole position.

This was not the case and he is the first to acknowledge that the reason lies with him: « I was surprised that the track was so dry, more than I expected. In hindsight, I should have taken more risks. It’s not because of the pace or the car, it’s the driver’s fault and the three drivers in front of me took more risks. The later you crossed the line, the better it was. »

The German will therefore be forced into a wild comeback in tomorrow’s race, starting ninth. As for Kimi Räikkönen, he is the fortunate beneficiary of this penalty and that of Nico Rosberg. However, the Finn was disappointed not to have done better than the 6th time in the session: « When the conditions became a bit tricky, we didn’t make the right choice because of several small things, and we weren’t able to complete a good lap when it mattered. It’s a bit disappointing to finish sixth. I think we could have done better, but with the penalties for the guys in front, it’s not so bad. The car performed very well all weekend, in both dry and wet conditions. We were fast. So, I expect it to go well. »

From our special correspondent in Spielberg