Fifth and a spin, Vettel lost his footing in Sakhir!
The battle between Hamilton and Vettel turned into a nightmare for the German driver, who surely leaves Bahrain very disappointed.
Never two without three? The saying struggled this Sunday at Sakhir with the Vettel-Ferrari duo. Two victories in 2017 and 2018 but no third for this 2019 edition. Beaten by his teammate in qualifying, it seemed evident that the Ferrari driver was not particularly comfortable with his single-seater, giving the impression of walking on eggshells.
At the start of the race, Vettel got off to a good start by immediately overtaking Leclerc. However, he only maintained the lead for five laps before giving way to his garage neighbor.
Further on, another threat complicated his progress: Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes, growing larger and larger in his mirrors. The two world champions then delivered a high-level duel to the spectators, in several acts. The last act was completed on lap 38, with Vettel’s spin on the inside line of the fourth turn.
« While battling with Lewis, I made a mistake at turn 4, which is one of the most difficult turns on the track. I suddenly lost the car and spun out, » admitted Vettel.
Started third, his front wing exploded a few corners later on the straight due to tire vibrations caused by the spin. This unfortunate sequence forced him to return to the pits and rejoin the race in ninth position. Despite three overtakes on the two Renaults and Norris’ McLaren, the damage was already done.
« This is not the race we wanted. It was a disappointing evening. In the second stint, the car was perhaps slightly better with the mediums but it was still difficult to drive », adds the main person concerned in this regard.
The former driver thus ends up in fifth place with the bitter feeling that the podium or victory was within reach. Vettel made too many of these kinds of mistakes last year not to know their consequences. Now 4 points behind his teammate (22 points to 26), it’s crucial for the German to correct his course for the upcoming Grand Prix if he doesn’t want to lose his leading position within the Scuderia. As Vettel points out, this race in Sakhir was mainly Charles’s. And the next one in Shanghai in 14 days?
