In retrospect, there would not have been a weekend when Sebastian Vettel would have wanted to celebrate his 34th birthday. The German was again unable to take home any points at the Red Bull Ring.
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The four-time world champion qualified in P8, but started the race in P11 after the FIA imposed a three-place penalty for obstructing Fernando Alonso in Turn 10. The German started the race on the soft mix, which forced him to stop in an early pit lane. As a result, Vettel fell further behind the starting line-up and ultimately could not come back to rescue points.
But on the last lap of the race, the German tried to overtake his former Ferrari team-mate by 12th place. But as soon as Vettel finished his move on the Finn, the German’s left rear tire got tangled up with Kimi Raikkonen’s right front tire. As a result, both the Alfa Romeo and Aston Martin spun in the gravel.
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Kimi Raikkonen fell back to P16 and was later penalized for 20 seconds. While Sebastian Vettel retired on the spot.
View history: When F1 drivers with Hamilton, Vettel & Ricciardo had a lot of fun on top equipment.
What did Sebastian Vettel say?
Sebastian Vettel explained the incident with his former teammate and friend Kimi Raikkonen as a mere misunderstanding.
“The contact with Kimi was a misunderstanding, I think. I thought I was both inside and in front. I got out of Turn 4 well and was ahead of Kimi in Turn 5 when I turned right. Then suddenly I felt a blow. I don’t think Kimi did that on purpose, ”said four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel in the press conference after the race.
(Quotes translated via google)
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Formula 1 F1 – Austrian Grand Prix – Red Bull Ring, Spielberg, Styria, Austria – July 3, 2021. Aston Martins Sebastian Vettel during training REUTERS / Leonhard Foeger.
After the race, the steward punished Raikkonen for the collision with Vettel and imposed a 20-second time penalty and two penalty points. Raikkonen’s penalty at the Austrian Grand Prix means the Finn has now had six penalty loops in the past 12 months. If the driver reaches the 12 mark, he is automatically blocked. But his wealth of experience and unmatched calm should help him get through.
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What do you think? Can Sebastian Vettel end his British Grand Prix scoring drought? Let us know in the comment section below.
The post Sebastian Vettel shows humility and class despite a collision with Kimi Räikkönen in the last lap of class first appeared on monter-une-startup.
