Assessment: Red Bull has reasons to be disappointed

After strong performances during practice and qualifying, Red Bull expected much more from this race. The team is losing ground to Brawn GP in the constructors’ championship, while Vettel only gains a single point on Jenson Button in the drivers’ championship. Vettel had qualified on the front row and had the potential to compete for the win. Although he was overtaken at the start by Nico Rosberg, the German driver was patient and waited for Rosberg to make his pit stop to put pressure on leader Hamilton. Unfortunately, a speeding violation at the pit exit ruined all his efforts. He nevertheless finishes in fourth place, just ahead of his championship rivals.

Mark Webber was caught off guard by Alonso’s lightning-fast start but quickly regained his position at turn 7. In the battle, both drivers ran wide, and when trying to rejoin the track, Mark Webber claimed he had no other choice but to pass Timo Glock. The stewards deemed the maneuver, similar to Räikkönen’s at the start in Belgium, to be illegal. The Australian driver was thus forced to give the positions back to Alonso and Glock. He then experienced excessive brake wear during the race, like many other drivers, but despite taking precautions, the brake disc literally exploded at the end of the race, sending Mark Webber off track. Vettel can still hope to compete for the driver’s championship, but for Red Bull, the constructor’s championship now seems lost.

Sebastian Vettel – 4th:

« My start wasn’t very good because I was on the dirty side of the track, but it was quite a good race for me until that “drive through.” I don’t understand why… I mean, I had no reason to attack at that moment. We knew we couldn’t get past Lewis at the pit stop because he had to stay on track longer! We were on the limit with the brakes, I was lifting earlier than usual and braking a bit more gently when I was in traffic. From time to time, I had to release as well to cool them down before being able to attack again, you always have to listen to your car. As for the championship, I think history has shown many times that nothing is ever decided. In the next races, our approach will be simple: try to get pole position and win, it’s as simple as that. »

Mark Webber – Retirement:

« We had a suspicious braking problem, so when I came into the pits for my second stop, the mechanics performed a visual check. It seemed reasonable to continue, but quickly, I experienced a breakdown, and it was over! The first laps were quite combative, as you might expect on a street circuit, and I got into a bit of a battle with Fernando at turn 7, and we both went wide. About nine laps later, I had to pass Fernando, but unfortunately, Glock was in the middle at that moment, so I had to let them both through. My race was heavily compromised from there. I thought the incident was fifty/fifty, but the stewards decided otherwise, and I had to let Alonso and Glock go. So I lost everything I had worked hard for in the first stint. I think it was a harsh penalty; Kimi did something similar at Spa and didn’t get penalized. I would like to say thank you to the mechanics; they were outstanding this weekend, and that’s why we are second in the Constructors’ Championship. Fingers crossed, we can finish this year on a good note. »

Christian Horner – Team Principal:

A truly disappointing day and unfortunately, with too many incidents. Both drivers did not get a good start, which was inevitable from the dirty side of the track, and Rosberg was able to overtake Sebastian. It was a shame that Mark had to let Glock and Alonso pass after both drivers ran wide at turn 7. There was a “drive through” penalty for Sebastian and damage to his diffuser after jumping a curb. Despite this, Sebastian finished in 4th place with really impressive driving. As for Mark, we had some concerns about the wear on his brakes, so we called him into the pits 2 or 3 laps earlier to perform a visual check. Visually, both the brake pads and the brake discs looked excellent, and we cleaned the brake ducts of any debris. After his stop, the brake wear continued to worsen and we were about to call him into the pits when the expected failure occurred.