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Disaster trip to Melbourne
Vettel misses qualifying after training crash
4/9/2022 6:26 am
The false start to the season is expanding for Sebastian Vettel. After a corona infection, he is finally at the third Grand Prix, only then does he suffer engine damage. In the 3rd free practice session he’s back – until he crashes into the gang. Mick Schumacher then asks him anxiously.
An accident following a driving error spoiled Sebastian Vettel’s qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix. In the third free practice session in the morning, the 34-year-old crashed into the barriers in his Aston Martin after losing control on the Albert Park Circuit shortly beforehand. “Sorry guys,” radioed the four-time Formula 1 world champion from Hesse to his team.
The training session then had to be interrupted. The left front suspension of the car was badly damaged. The team was not able to repair the car in time, Vettel had to stay in the garage in qualifying without having achieved anything.
Immediately after the accident, Mick Schumacher stopped at Vettel’s place on the track. He asked over the radio if his buddy was okay, then waited for the older man’s direct reaction. He gave him his thumb, only then did Schumacher start again.
For Vettel, the crash was the continuation of a difficult trip down under. On Friday he had already completely missed the second practice session after suffering an engine failure on his car in the first session. The Heppenheimer had missed the first two races due to a coronavirus infection and is now starting the season late in Melbourne.
Vettel’s teammate also crashes
The best time in practice was set by Brit Lando Norris in a McLaren ahead of world championship leader Charles Leclerc in a Ferrari and Sergio Perez in a Red Bull. The practice ended early after Vettel’s teammate Lance Stroll also had an accident. The Canadian also crashed into the gang. His car also had to be recovered.
World champion Max Verstappen in the Red Bull missed the opportunity for a last fast lap after the Stroll accident and finished seventh (+ 0.692) ahead of record champion Lewis Hamilton in the Mercedes (+ 0.779). Mick Schumacher finished 14th (+ 1.575) in his Haas racing car.
There was one change to the completely revamped course in Albert Park. One of the DRS zones on the long back straight was deleted for safety reasons, the zone before turn nine is affected. This reduced the number of DRS zones to three.
Before the third race of the season this Sunday (7 a.m. CEST/Sky and in the ntv.de live ticker) Leclerc (45 points) leads ahead of Carlos Sainz (33) in the second Ferrari and world champion Max Verstappen (25) from Red Bull.