Vettel left 'upset and angry' after Bahrain Q1 exit

40

Sebastian Vettel was understandably unhappy with his maiden qualifying with Aston Martin after a botched session in Bahrain left him a lowly P18.

Vettel's troubled evening at Sakhir on Saturday was a story of yellow flags and poor timing.

The four-time world champion's first effort in Q1 was ruined by a spin by Haas' Nikita Mazepin at Turn 1, while his second attempt at improving his position was undermined by another yellow flag sparked by Ferrari's Carlos Sainz who was forced to coast to a momentary stop after encountering an engien issue.

Although upset with the outcome of the session, Vettel vowed to take the setback on the chin and focus on Sunday's race.

"If I panicked now it wouldn't help," Vettel told Sky Sports F1. "For sure I'm upset and angry - it was not our fault in a way - not to make it through, but we have to take it and do what we can to prepare for tomorrow."

Vettel said he made it across the line for his second attempt with only a second in hand after Mazepin broke F1's gentleman's agreement and jumped the queue to overtake the Aston Martin driver and gain a position ahead of starting his flyer.

"It was a mess in the last sector warming up, I just made it across the line with less than one second and then I had two yellow flags, so not much we could do at that stage," he said.

Read also: Vettel not as 'vain' as Alonso, respects rivals' talent

On a somewhat brighter note, Vettel said he felt happier with his car's handling in qualifying compared to free practice but admitted that Aston Martin is not where it wants to be.

"On a positive note, the car felt better in qualifying and all the work we have done since testing is taking us in a good direction, so we have the potential to be faster," he said.

"Even though we are not starting where we want to be, it is tomorrow that counts. Our job is to maximise all the opportunities and see what happens."

Gallery: The beautiful wives and girlfriends of F1 drivers

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.