Amid the celebrations for Charles Leclerc, there was more frustration for Sebastian Vettel at the Italian Grand Prix.
The four-time world champion was a lowly 13th in Monza having thrown his chance away with a spin at the Ascari chicane in the opening laps.
It was the second straight year a spin had dropped Vettel out of contention at Ferrari’s home race and, as his teammate claimed victory, Sebastian was left to lick his wounds.
“I’m not happy with it, I can’t be happy with my day today,” he conceded, talking to Sky Sports.
“I thought we had a good start and then nowhere to go, lost the position, got it back and reconnected to the cars ahead and then I just lost the rear and couldn’t catch it [at Ascari].
“It’s as simple as that but obviously not happy with it and then after that, the race was obviously gone.”
If the initial error wasn’t bad enough, Vettel made matters worse by trying to quickly rejoin the track and making contact with Lance Stroll, damaging his car and earning a 10-second stop/go penalty.
“No. I struggled a couple of times to get the car going and get the car going in the right direction so I didn’t see him,” he argued.
With Leclerc rapidly establishing himself as the lead driver at Ferrari and the favourite of the Tifosi, Vettel was asked if Monza had impacted his passion for F1.
“No not really I haven’t,” he stated. “Of course, I still love what I do but surely when you are not doing well and you know you can do well you can’t be happy.”
Astonishment is perhaps the best word to use to describe Vettel’s seventh major moment during a race since Hockenheim last year with 2016 world champion Nico Rosberg among those flabbergasted.
“Vettel is unexplainable for me, I can’t explain it,” he said on Sky Sports.
Also Read:
- Sainz sends a warning to Vettel over Leclerc, compares Hamilton & Verstappen
- Di Montezemolo: Ferrari close to having two No.1 drivers
“He is a four-time world champion, he is one of the best guys out there and to make a mistake like that, on your own, just spinning the car like that in a corner is so strange.
“This must be so dark, this moment for him. His teammate just became a Ferrari legend and has taken the number one status in the team from him.”
Just to completely round-off Vettel’s day, he now sits just three penalty points on his superlicence shy of a race ban with nine.