Sebastian Vettel insisted nobody was to blame for the problem which left him unable to take part in Q3 during Austrian Grand Prix qualifying.
The German may well have been on course for a front row start in Spielberg, as Ferrari enjoyed a rare pace advantage over Mercedes at the Red Bull Ring.
However, as teammate Charles Leclerc took pole, Vettel was left in the garage as a result of a suspected air pressure problem
“Obviously, the car was broken, we couldn’t fire it up and go, so we lost parts of Q2 and then Q3 completely,” he explained to Sky Sports.
“We fairly quickly made the decision to change the part, but it’s not so easy to take the bodywork off and get there. The guys did everything they could but we couldn’t do it in time.”
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A gearbox penalty for Kevin Magnussen will at least mean Vettel moves upto ninth on the grid for the race, but it is just the latest example of luck going against the four-time world champion.
“Yes, obviously it’s frustrating but there’s nothing you can do but it’s nobody’s fault,” he continued.
“For sure we need to understand what happened and make sure it doesn’t happen again but as I said, it’s nobody’s fault.
“We tried everything to fix it. I knew that if we fixed it, it would only be one run so I was trying to focus solely on that but it didn’t happen.
“At least, as much as a pain it is, it’s also good to see that the other car came through and got the pole. I’m happy for the team but obviously not happy for my side, but we’ll have a good race tomorrow.”
