Vettel retired in the second stage of qualifying for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix after a hard-fought training session and finished in 13th place, although he was less than seven tenths less than the overall fastest time.
It was Vettel’s second defeat in a row in qualifying against Aston Martin’s new team-mate, Lance Stroll, who finished tenth after two tenths faster.
After qualifying in Imola, Vettel explained that after his arrival in the team over the winter and the previously limited mileage, he still lacked full confidence in the Aston Martin AMR21 car.
“We’re obviously right in midfield and it’s very close, so a few tenths could make a big difference,” said Vettel.
“I was happier with the feeling of the car, but maybe I still lacked the last bit of confidence. Overall, I think it’s getting better. As I said, it’s very tight, so we’ll see tomorrow.
“Maybe we have a little rain that could help us.”
Vettel had the feeling that he had “lost a little” compared to his best performance in his last Q2 lap, but admitted that he “did not feel at one” with the car “yet”.
“Obviously I’m not a very patient guy, so I don’t want to wait,” said Vettel.
“But it’s getting a lot better. On a track like this in particular, you need the ultimate trust to extract everything.
“I’m not there yet, but it’s only the second race, so I’ll have to be a little more patient.”
Sebastian Vettel, Aston Martin
Photo by: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Images
Vettel acknowledged that his lack of patience would “maybe sometimes” cause him to oversteer, but stated that the different vehicle philosophy meant that it took him longer to catch up than previous team changes .
“The car is very different than it used to be,” said Vettel.
“These days there are a few things that have to do with tires and how you set up the car etc can make a huge difference.
“That’s why I think that it might take me a little longer than normal.
“Honestly, for the ultimate tenths that you fight against in midfield, you see the consequences immediately.”
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