Massive disappointment for ninth-placed Vettel

Sebastian Vettel's qualifying performance at Spa was a massive disappointment, to say the least, with the Ferrari's pace appearing to completely evaporate in the all-important afternoon session.

The Hungarian GP victor finished way down in ninth position and will certainly have his work cut out for him tomorrow, providing the German's SF15-T mount recovers its momentum.

"I was a little bit deep into the last corner, but surprised as well that obviously it was only good enough for ninth," conceded Vettel.

"We just couldn't make the step from Q2 to Q3. It was a tight pack, so we went from being just in front to behind. That's what happened."

Thanks to a five-place grid penalty applied to Grosjean, Vettel will actually start the race eighth with the hope of gaining some traction right off the bat, when the lights go green, although the new start procedure may instill some uncertainty amongst the ranks.

"In the end, it's not a massive change [the new start procedure]. Maybe tomorrow there will be a bit of chaos but after some races it'll be back to where it was."

"For sure, the target is to make up ground at the start and on the opening lap as much as possible. But equally it's a long race and won't get decided on lap 1."

Click here for a gallery of the biggest crashes at Spa-Francorchamps 

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter

Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.

Recent Posts

Schumacher and Irvine paint the town red in Monaco

On this day in 1999 in Monaco, a dominant Michael Schumacher secured his 35th career…

59 minutes ago

Rosenqvist finds 233 mph magic at Indy on Fast Friday

Sometimes at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, speed doesn’t build gradually – it arrives like it…

2 hours ago

McLaren powers up: Intel returns to F1 after 20-year hiatus

Nearly two decades after its last high-speed venture in Formula 1, American computing giant Intel…

3 hours ago

Verstappen admits to 'super tough' Nürburgring 24 Hours qualifying

Max Verstappen’s Nürburgring 24 Hours debut is already delivering the kind of storyline only he…

4 hours ago

Audi progress not to be judged until ‘the end of the year’ - McNish

Audi’s 2026 Formula 1 project is already under the microscope, but racing director Allan McNish…

5 hours ago

Verstappen set for second row start at Nürburgring 24 Hours

Max Verstappen will launch his long-awaited Nürburgring 24 Hours debut from the second row of…

20 hours ago