Turbo issue wreaks havoc on 'bitter' Vettel's qualie

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Ferrari's hopes of challenging Mercedes for pole on home ground were set back at the outset when a turbo issue sidelined Sebastian Vettel in Q3.

The Scuderia had put itself in charge of proceedings on Friday and confirmed its ambitions in Saturday's final practice with Charles Leclerc and Vettel topping the timesheet.

However, minutes after the lights went green for the 60-minute grid-defining session, Vettel radioed in during his out-lap to signal a sudden power loss.

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Watching the Ferrari mechanics take the engine cover off the German's SF90 was an ominous sign, and the bad news was confirmed shortly when Vettel climbed out of his car and called it a day.

"I don’t know what happened, something broke on the turbo and that was game over from there," said the local hero admitted feeling "very bitter".

"Very disappointed as I think the car is very good, we lost out on a big chance but hopefully we’ll have a big one coming again tomorrow.

"I’m looking forward to the race, but obviously it would have been nicer to start at the very front rather than the very back but…we’ll see what happens."

After Vettel's unexpected demise, the Scuderia pinned all its hopes on Leclerc, and while the Monegasque easily made the Q3 cut, more drama ensued in the Ferrari box as the day went from bad to worse when Leclerc exited his car at the start of the final shootout, leaving its driver stranded in tenth position.

"On my side it was a fuel system problem," Leclerc told Sky F1.

"It's a shame but we'll be trying to understand what happened to not reproduce it. It's a difficult day for the team, I hope it will be a very positive day tomorrow."

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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.