Sebastian Vettel wasn’t letting any disappointment set in despite seeing another win ripped away at the Azerbaijan GP on Sunday.
The four-time world champion was serenely controlling the race in Baku after producing the perfect restart following an opening lap Safety Car and has built up a three-second gap by the end of the first green flag lap.
However, a decision to pit on Lap 30 would backfire as Valtteri Bottas, who opted to stay out for as long as possible, benefited from the two Red Bulls colliding and needing a second Safety Car period which he would use to pit for Ultrasoft tyres.
Vettel would do the same, but his attempted overtake on the Mercedes driver would go wrong as he ran wide at Turn 1 before later being passed by Sergio Perez to drop off the podium.
“I’m happy I tried but not happy it didn’t work,” the German said on trying to pass Bottas at the restart.
“I don’t think it was overly optimistic to jump on the inside but I was a bit trapped as I couldn’t see where I was in relation to Turn 1.
“I locked up but I wasn’t overly late.”
It marked the second successive race that strategy and a Safety Car combined to cost Vettel a good result and with Lewis Hamilton taking victory after Bottas retired with a tyre failure, it also cost him the championship lead.
The Ferrari driver wasn’t flustered though, adding: “I think it was a strong race and that’s how it goes sometimes.”
