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Vettel struggles to 11th in qualifying
Source: Agencies |
April 15, 2012, Sunday
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RED Bull was struggling to replicate the dominance of previous seasons yesterday after two-time reigning world champion Sebastian Vettel failed to make the third qualifying round for the Chinese Grand Prix and will start 11th.
This time last year the 24-year-old German had won both the opening races - and he hardly looked back after that as he and his Red Bull car obliterated the opposition.
But after two years of superiority, Vettel finds himself in the unfamiliar position of playing catch-up already, as his patchy season reached a new low in Shanghai.
"I was pretty happy with the car in qualifying," he insisted, despite seeing fellow German Nico Rosberg storm to pole position in his Mercedes for today's race with a time that was almost one second quicker than Vettel's.
"I think we made a step forward compared to the morning (practice). In the morning we had quite a bit of oversteer."
Much has been made of Vettel's new car set-up and in particular his exhaust layout, but he refused to use that as an excuse.
"It was just not quick enough at the time. It was a special session if you look at other people: run to run the times were quite different, more than half a second for many people.
"I don't think it's right to blame the package now. In terms of long-run pace I was pretty happy. We should be in good shape."
The affable Vettel denied it was tough adjusting going from the clear champion to what would appear, two races in, to be a season of relative struggle.
Vettel, who came second in the first race in Australia but finished out of the points in Malaysia, said: "It's not a problem, it's not as if we expect to have the best car."
His Red Bull teammate Mark Webber was seventh-fastest, and admitted it had been a far from ideal qualifying session.
"The Q2 (second qualifying) lap wasn't bad, but I didn't get the Q3 lap together as I would have liked," the Australian said.
This time last year the 24-year-old German had won both the opening races - and he hardly looked back after that as he and his Red Bull car obliterated the opposition.
But after two years of superiority, Vettel finds himself in the unfamiliar position of playing catch-up already, as his patchy season reached a new low in Shanghai.
"I was pretty happy with the car in qualifying," he insisted, despite seeing fellow German Nico Rosberg storm to pole position in his Mercedes for today's race with a time that was almost one second quicker than Vettel's.
"I think we made a step forward compared to the morning (practice). In the morning we had quite a bit of oversteer."
Much has been made of Vettel's new car set-up and in particular his exhaust layout, but he refused to use that as an excuse.
"It was just not quick enough at the time. It was a special session if you look at other people: run to run the times were quite different, more than half a second for many people.
"I don't think it's right to blame the package now. In terms of long-run pace I was pretty happy. We should be in good shape."
The affable Vettel denied it was tough adjusting going from the clear champion to what would appear, two races in, to be a season of relative struggle.
Vettel, who came second in the first race in Australia but finished out of the points in Malaysia, said: "It's not a problem, it's not as if we expect to have the best car."
His Red Bull teammate Mark Webber was seventh-fastest, and admitted it had been a far from ideal qualifying session.
"The Q2 (second qualifying) lap wasn't bad, but I didn't get the Q3 lap together as I would have liked," the Australian said.
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