Sebastian Vettel was able to extend his advantage over Lewis Hamilton in the Drivers’ Championship to twenty points after finishing second to Valtteri Bottas in the Austrian Grand Prix, but felt the first stint of the race cost him valuable time and the possible race victory.
The Scuderia Ferrari driver fell away from Bottas in the opening laps, but once he made the mid-race switch to the Supersoft compound, he was able to close down the gap, finishing 0.658 seconds behind.
Vettel feels races like the one at the Red Bull Ring means they can learn more about their car, but feels that he should have left Austria with the twenty-five points for the race win rather than the eighteen points for second.
“Today I struggled in the first stint with the first set of tyres, the Ultrasofts,” said Vettel. “I think they were just getting too hot. Then the clouds came in and the balance of the car improved.
“That’s why I think we were starting to get quicker. It was a shame that we couldn’t win, because we were close. We learnt more about the car in these days and there are many positive aspects regarding this race, but I feel like I could have won today and I didn’t, so I am not entirely happy.
“At the beginning of the race I was just not quick enough. The pace was there, but the balance wasn’t.”
