Formula 1
SEBASTIAN VETTEL DISQUALIFIED FROM ABU DHABI QUALIFYING AND HANDS FERNANDO ALONSO WHAT HE’S BEEN PRAYING FOR AT THE “DNF” CHAPEL!
Car 1 SEBASTIAN VETTEL, Position: 3rd, (3rd Practice – P3, 1:42.614)
“Third in Q3 was a good effort, but I should have done a bit better on the final lap. I had a little mistake in the final sector of my last flying lap, but it was still good to be third. I’m not sure what the issue was at the end, I was just told to switch off the car.”
Regarding starting tomorrow’s race from the pit lane: “One of the best ski jumpers of all times once said ‘Every chance is an opportunity and as far as we are concerned there are still plenty of chances tomorrow’.”
CHRISTIAN HORNER: “During the slow down lap following the final run of Q3, Renault instructed to immediately stop Sebastian’s car on the circuit due to an issue with the fuel system. After speaking with the stewards, who accepted the situation of force majeure for technical reasons for the car to be stopped, unfortunately, for reasons yet to be fully understood, 850ml of the required one litre was pumped out of the car following post race checks. As a result, the FIA has excluded Sebastian from qualifying and we will withdraw the car from Parc Ferme in order to investigate further. Therefore Sebastian will start from the pit lane for tomorrow’s race. We will need to make the most of Mark’s strong front-row grid position and Sebastian will have a busy evening ahead of him.”