Vettel blames Button for botched lap

Sebastian Vettel says a 'sleeping' Jenson Button had hindered his final qualifying lap and prevented the Ferrari driver from claiming a spot on the second row.

Vettel ended up 5th in the Q3 segment but felt he could have finished ahead of both Red Bulls in front of him at the end of a session which he believed did not reflect his car's true potential.

"I don’t think it’s fair, we had a yellow at the end and I don’t know why Jenson didn’t move out of the way so I couldn’t close the lap and lost a lot of time," said Vettel.

"I think he was sleeping. I think he didn’t expect anyone to keep going [after the yellow flags] so after that he backed off, I guess, and came back to the pits.

"But going into Turn 12 he didn’t move and by Turn 13 he realised and did move but by then I’d already lost quite a lot of time.

"There was no point pushing through the last corner, otherwise I think I could have been top three, easy. A bit of a shame, the car felt very good.

Vettel referenced Rosberg's lap as a marker of where he could have ended the session but for the circumstances he was forced to deal with.

But overall, the German said he was satisfied with the handling and performance of his Ferrari following a few tweeks applied after the morning's free practice.

"I’d say I was on the same kind of lap as Nico behind me, and he kept pushing and you could see what he did.

"We did some changes after FP3, and I think they worked. The car was really coming alive, but we unfortunately we couldn’t show that."

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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.