SEBASTIAN VETTEL: “IT WAS NOT THE BEST SESSION FOR ME”

Sebastian Vettel will start sixth on the grid for the United States Grand Prix but admitted it was not a great qualifying session for the Scuderia Ferrari driver.

Sebastian Vettel admitted that the qualifying session for the United States Grand Prix did not go well for him or his Scuderia Ferrari team after being forced to settle for sixth on the grid at the Circuit of the Americas.

The German was disheartened to the gap to those in front of him, with Vettel’s best Q3 lap 1.359 seconds down on Lewis Hamilton’s pole position time, and 0.237 seconds down on team-mate Kimi Raikkonen, who will start fifth.

“Qualifying was not so good, hopefully the race will go better,” said Vettel. “Surely we can try and look at different things, learn from today, go forward, and for sure we are not pleased with the gap to the cars ahead.

“It was not the best session for me: overall it was ok, the car felt fine, but in the end we were not just quick enough. For sure in Q3 I could have done a slightly better lap, but at the end of the day obviously we are missing a bit compared to the cars in front, so I think tomorrow could be a different day. Probably in my last lap I was a bit too aggressive.”

Vettel admits to being somewhat confused to why the team are not as competitive in the United States as they were last time out in Japan, and as such might need a clever strategy to get ahead of some of their rivals.

“There remains a bit of a question mark at this point, at least on why we were so competitive in fast corners in Suzuka and here we are missing out; but then again we are missing out across all sectors,” said Vettel. “For tomorrow we’ll see, there’s always a chance to outsmart the people but I think we have to react on the fly.

“The strategy is set for the beginning, in terms the tyres to start the race with, but we kept some new tyre sets, so we’ll see. It could be an interesting race: tyre degradation is always important, it could be playing a big role tomorrow.”

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Sebastian Vettel Discusses Defending Race Of Champions Title

The Race of Champions is heading to the United States for the first time in its history, and Formula One ace Sebastian Vettel has spoken out about defending his ROC title.

When the Race of Champions comes to Miami in January, Sebastian Vettel will be on hand as the defending winner.

The Scuderia Ferrari driver captured the title at last year’s event in London and Vettel,during a conversation with Motorsport, spoke on winning the event last year, and how excited he is to defend his crown.

“I’m very happy to have finally won the individual Race Of Champions title last year in London’s Olympic Stadium and I look forward to defending my title at ROC in Miami,” he said.

“All the drivers are strong, and the top US drivers from NASCAR and IndyCar will certainly be extra motivated to win in front of their home fans now that the event is being held in their country for the first time.

“This will also be the first time ROC has been held in a baseball stadium so I’m curious to discover the new track layout. But as always it’s the same track and identical cars for everyone so only driver skill makes the difference.

2012 Verizon IndyCar Series champion Ryan Hunter-Reay, a Florida native, and veteran NASCAR driver Kurt Busch are slated to be part of the 2017 field.

Watch highlights from Vettel’s winning year at the Race of Champions:

The two-day event is divided between solo and group competition. The first half is the Race of Champions itself, with drivers competing for individual glory like Vettel won last year. On Sunday, drivers pair up in teams for the ROC Nations Cup, bidding by nationality for the title of “World’s Fastest Nation.”

Organizers have also spoken about the decision to bring the event stateside.

“We are thrilled to be bringing the Race Of Champions to the United States at last,” said ROC President Fredrik Johnsson. “Miami’s Marlins Park is a wonderful venue and it’s our first time inside a baseball stadium. Rest assured we will put together a truly memorable event for fans of fast cars and even faster drivers.

“American race fans are passionate about their sport and I’m sure they will enjoy the great competition and shows we put on.”

Previous venues included England’s Wembley Stadium, the Bird’s Nest Olympic Stadium in Beijing and the Stade de France in Paris. There has never been a ROC champion from the U.S., but that would certainly be a way to commemorate America’s first time as a host nation.

They’ll just have to get through Vettel first.

Red Bull and Force India oppose 'halo' device

Force India joined Red Bull on Tuesday in opposing plans to introduce a proposed 'halo' cockpit protection device in Formula One next season.

Red Bull had the device on their car at the start of testing at Silverstone, becoming the second team to try it out after Ferrari, but team principal Christian Horner said he was not a fan of the "inelegant solution".

"I'd prefer there to be more research time taken to do the job properly, rather than rushing something through that may have other consequences," he told reporters after Sunday's British Grand Prix.

"I certainly wouldn't vote in favour at the moment."

Force India deputy principal Bob Fernley told Sky Sports television on Tuesday, with rain teeming down at Silverstone, that he agreed with Horner.

"I believe that it's too hasty. We need to do a lot more work to understand that the halo isn't going to create other problems, which I think it will do," he said.

"I think we should take our time and get the right solution and then introduce it."

The concept, more like a wishbone with a central pillar supporting a protective loop above the driver's head, has been promoted by Ferrari and Mercedes, whereas Red Bull prefer their own 'aeroscreen'.

The latter device, more attractive to some, did not perform as well in testing by the governing body and the halo is now the main focus.

The International Automobile Federation (FIA) is keen to introduce it next year but that would require a unanimous vote by top teams, including Red Bull, as a change to the technical regulations.

The FIA could impose it on safety grounds, however, while approval for 2018 would require only a majority vote.

Ferrari tested a second version of the halo last Friday in British Grand Prix practice but four times world champion Sebastian Vettel, who did a lap with it, said visibility remained a concern.

The device was modified from an earlier version, removing some weight and reducing the risk of the driver's head striking it in the event of an impact.

Improving head protection has become a priority after the deaths last year of Briton Justin Wilson, hit by debris in an IndyCar crash, and Frenchman Jules Bianchi, who suffered ultimately fatal injuries at the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix.

The halo aims to protect the driver's head and deflect large debris and objects, such as bouncing wheels.

Sebastian Vettel confident after pushing Mercedes in F1 qualifying

Sebastian Vettel said he was pleased with qualifying third in Canada despite just missing out on beating the Mercedes drivers.

Sebastian Vettel said he was pleased with qualifying third in Canada despite just missing out on beating the Mercedes drivers.

Against expectations, Vettel was only a tenth of a second off the Mercedes pace when it mattered in Q3.

“I think going into qualifying I thought it was possible,” he said. “As a driver you always feel that there’s a little bit more. I think on my last lap I was very happy with the lap in general, I was maybe a bit greedy out of 10 and maybe not greedy enough into turn six, but there wasn’t an awful lot to grab otherwise, as I said, very happy.

“I wanted to get below the 1m13s mark because then I knew it would be very close with the Mercedes. I did that but just by one hundredth so a little bit was missing, but overall I think we have a great car, we did a step, so I’m happy with how the weekend has turned out. We did a step or so overnight so I felt in general very comfortable and enjoyed qualifying a lot. I brushed the Wall of Champions so done that, don’t have to do that tomorrow, so we should be all set.”

Regarding Ferrari's turbo upgrade for this race, he said: “I think we expected to bring performance to the car and that’s what it did. I think this is probably a track where it’s quite important. There are a lot of straights so yeah, I think that’s why we decided to bring it here as well and as I said, it worked and it should help us also tomorrow, not just today.”

Sebastian Vettel lets rip at Daniil Kvyat over Russian Grand Prix crash

President Vladimir Putin turned up too late to witness the azure skies over Sochi being turned a dark shade of purple by the foul mouth of a four-times world champion driven to fury by the haphazard intervention of the young man supposed to be the local hero.

Vettel: “I expect an apology”.

Daniil Kvyat carried the hopes of a nation but left his home race last night with a clamour for apologies coming from even his own team-mate after triggering a first-lap crash with a moment of lunacy.

Christian Horner, Red Bull’s team principal, admitted that Kvyat “destroyed” the Russian Grand Prix for his team. Daniel Ricciardo, the team-mate who plummeted from fifth on the grid to finish 11th, said simply: “I expect an apology, put it that way.”

Sebastian Vettel did not hang around the Sochi Olympic Park long enough for Kvyat to offer an explanation as to why he hit the Ferrari star not once but twice in quick succession.

The first time was a nudge through the second corner, but the second contact was decisive as Vettel careered into the wall going through the 170mph, semi-circular third corner. Ricciardo was caught up in the melee.

Oh, the language. Vettel is as articulate as they come and well-versed in the art of English swearing and, boy, did he let rip.

“Somebody hit me in the f***ing rear at turn two, and then somebody hit me in the f***ing rear again in turn three, for f***’s sake,” he said. “Honestly, what the f*** are we doing here?” You get the gist.

Daniil Kvyat before the race.

Vettel wasted no time marching to the Red Bull pitwall to remonstrate with Horner. They go back a long way; Horner mentored Vettel to his four titles and knows well the German’s temper is occasionally highly-charged.

“Seb said hello and made his thoughts well known and all I could do was apologise to him,” Horner said.

Perhaps Kvyat was too pumped up for his home race. He was not the only one: Kvyat’s name fluttered on a fan’s flag above the name of Ayrton Senna, who died exactly 22 years ago yesterday. Perhaps the flag was a tribute to the great Brazilian, but it could be considered a misjudgment of 22-year-old Kvyat’s potential.

Certainly Kvyat is occasionally quick and occasionally brave, as he showed when he upset Vettel at the previous grand prix in China when he threw his car down the inside of Vettel’s Ferrari. However, this time, the opprobrium of two fellow drivers was compounded by a ten-second stop-go penalty, which meant that Kvyat was 15th of the 18 finishers - not much of a reason to wave that flag, then.

All season, we have waited for the Ferrari revival and yet it does not come. Vettel was already on the back foot after having to take a five-place penalty for a changed gearbox, but was in combative mood, starting from seventh and aiming for a podium finish. As it was, the honours had to be carried by Kimi Raikkonen, his team-mate, whose third place was the 700th podium finish recorded by Ferrari in F1.

There was one other result of note: two McLarens finished in the points - Fernando Alonso in sixth and Jenson Button in tenth - for the first time since Hungary in July last year.

Sebastian Vettel: F1 risks turning people off

Formula One risks abandoning its roots with “overcomplicated” rules and could see interest in the sport fall even further if Lewis Hamilton’s dominance continues, Sebastian Vettel has warned.

In an outspoken attack on the eve of the new season made on his personal website, Vettel claimed F1 had become too lost in technology and the focus should return to the drivers.

Vettel himself was accused of turning people off the sport when he won four straight championships from 2010 to 2013. This intervention almost exactly mirrors criticism of his reign made a few years ago by Hamilton, Fernando Alonso and others.

Vettel won four straight championships from 2010 to 2013

But Hamilton and Mercedes’ dominance has been unprecedented in its scale. They have won 32 of the last 38 races and with very few rule changes over the winter, the team head into this season as overwhelming favourites, even if there are hopes Vettel’s Ferrari have stepped up their challenge.

While Vettel was cautious on his team’s chances, he was remarkably frank on the state of the sport.

"In short, I think the sport should be in the spotlight and it should be about which driver is the fastest," the four-time champion said.

Vettel has been remarkably frank on the state of the sport

"Today the car plays an important role, like it did in the past. But we shouldn't get lost in over-complicated rules. Our audience has to be able to identify with our cars again. At the moment F1 is just too complex and we're lacking sound.

"The dominance of Mercedes in the past two years took away a lot of excitement for the fans. Plus the new rules focus too much on details. I think we have to be careful not to lose the roots of motor racing and I certainly hope the cars of the future will be more within their grasp."

Formula One has been trapped in a debate about what it should be for years, but this was dramatically heightened with the introduction of more efficient, but quieter, hybrid engines at the start of 2014.

Bernie Ecclestone, F1’s chief executive, has been seeking to implement new rules for 2017 which make the cars significantly faster, but they appear to have been watered down amid endless bickering among the teams.

The main hope for an exciting season is that Ferrari, with English technical director James Allison at the helm, can bridge the gap to Mercedes, mounting a proper challenge on Hamilton and Nico Rosberg’s supremacy.

With one eye on the company’s flotation on the stock exchange, Sergio Marchionne, the Ferrari president, has made optimistic predictions of the season ahead, but Vettel was more guarded.

Ferrari president Sergio Marchionne is confident they can challenge Mercedes

"It's no secret that we are not still where we want to be, and there are things we need to improve," he said. “We know that our package was not strong enough to close in on Mercedes or overtake them, but we are working on it and we are on the right track."

Vettel also suggested that he could spend the rest of his career at Ferrari. The 28-year-old joined the Italian team from Red Bull at the start of 2015.

"I'm very comfortable where I am now and I don't think about other options," he added.

It could be my last team. I'm that kind of person who doesn't jump ship after just one year. I've never done such a thing before, in no area of life.

"I'm happy where I am at the moment. We have a common goal which we want to achieve together. Ferrari is special to me. Even as a small kid I dreamed about being a race driver for Ferrari in the future."

The first pre-season test starts in Barcelona on Feb 21, with the first race in Melbourne on March 20.

Melbourne Formula One grand prix 2016: pundits tip closer race but no joy for Ricciardo.

Former world champion Damon Hill and fellow driver-turned-TV pundit Martin Brundle expect this year's Formula One title fight will be closer than the last two Mercedes runaways.

Hill and Brundle predict Sunday's season-opening Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park will see a further resurgence by Ferrari, which last year vaulted from fourth to second in the rankings.

That's the good news from the leading English-language F1 broadcast analysts, who are mainstays of the coverage seen in Australia on Fox Sports.

The bad news is that neither Hill nor Brundle believes Australia's Daniel Ricciardo will win a race this year because they think his Red Bull Racing team will again be off the front-running pace.

While they anticipate Mercedes' dynamic duo of reigning world champion Lewis Hamilton and runner-up Nico Rosberg will again be the drivers to beat, Hill and Brundle expect their superiority to be reduced.

They are expecting - and certainly hoping - that the pace-setting speed of Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen in pre-season testing will translate to closer competition at Albert Park.

"There have definitely been some doubts that Mercedes has quite the big advantage that they might have had," said Hill, whose victory in the inaugural 1996 Melbourne GP anchored his F1 world title that year. "So I think Ferrari has definitely turned the wick up, which is good. Could be a surprise in Melbourne."

Brundle, who raced with distinction in F1 for more than a decade until switching to broadcasting in 1997, also tips Ferrari to have made a big enough gain to push Mercedes.

"Ferrari looked good [in testing]," he said. "It'll definitely be closer and let's hope they're right with them."

They base their hopeful prognostications on the fact that Vettel was quickest in pre-season testing, with Raikkonen also among the front-runners.

But they set their times with the softest tyres, while Hamilton and Rosberg were restricted to race rubber and logged by far the most laps in the two tests at the Circuit de Catalunya, near Barcelona.

Hill and Brundle agree that Vettel - the only non-Mercedes winner last year, with three victories in his first season with Ferrari after being overshadowed by Ricciardo at Red Bull in 2014 - can challenge Hamilton and Rosberg if his car is up to it. "Definitely," Hill declared. "He's capable of taking the fight to them."

Added Brundle: "We can only hope that Ferrari have really aced it. If they have, Vettel will take the fight right up to Hamilton and Rosberg."

However, Brundle - who in nearly 20 years as a commentator/analyst has become the "Voice of F1" - warns that the Britain-based German supersquad's fault-free testing is ominous. 

"Mercedes were obviously relentlessly fast and reliable," he said. "When you can run both your drivers every day because the cars are going so fast and so far, you know you have yourself some kind of incredible race car."

Despite rating him as one of the best in F1, Hill doesn't give Ricciardo much chance of repeating his three upset wins over Mercedes in 2014.

He is convinced that even if the West Australian's new Red Bull racer is a better car, he will still be hamstrung by the Renault power unit that stymied him last year, with the latest version (rebadged TAG Heuer as part of the team's reluctant renewal) again starting the season behind the Mercedes and Ferrari engines.

"I think it's going to be hard for him this year, I really do," Hill said. "I can't see Red Bull winning any races. They just haven't got the grunt in their power unit.

"Something's going to have to change radically for them to be at the front this season because there are too many good Mercedes and Ferrari-engined cars in front of them [including Toro Rosso, RBR's Ferrari-powered junior team]."

While Brundle also doubts Ricciardo will win any races, he won't be surprised if he and his closely matched Russian teammate Daniil Kvyat re-establish Red Bull Racing as the third best team ahead of Williams. 

"They seem more confident and it seems they'll get better again as the year unfolds, so let's hope Daniel keeps the smile on his face because we all enjoy that," he said. 

Hill rates Ricciardo just outside his top five drivers in F1 - world champions Hamilton (2008/14/15), Vettel (2010/11/12/13), Raikkonen (2007), and McLaren's Fernando Alonso (2005/06) and Jenson Button (2009).

"Only because of his equipment - and he hasn't won a championship," he said. "Daniel Ricciardo is a superstar. He always gets the best out of what he has, races hard.

"It'd be nice if he got a crack at a championship title fight." Hill added: "There are five really good drivers in F1 - you know, top, top drivers. Anyone with multiple championships like Sebastian is a top driver, along with Alonso, Jenson, Lewis obviously and Kimi's looking like he's still up for it."