RACE REPORT
The Finn, who was also voted Driver of
the Day by fans, summed up his race, “I had a
bit of a deja vu with what happened in Russia.
I had a massive blister on the rear tyre since
lap five of the second stint. The backmarkers
made it quite tricky but I’m really happy.
Massive thank you to the team.”
“I got the start of my life. I was really
on it. It’s still a long year ahead, we’re not
even halfway. It’s early days and we’re still
developing as a team,” he added.
Vettel’s second place means he extends
his lead at the top of the championship
standings to 20 points over Hamilton, but he
was left to rue the fact that he was so close,
but yet so far from win number four of the
season.
The Ferrari driver said on the podium,
“It was very close. I was told that he was in
trouble and I was pushing anyway. I felt much
happier in the second stint, in the first half of
the race I was struggling a bit to feel the car.
“But as soon as we put on the supersoft
tyre the car came alive and I had really good
pace. I was catching little by little and he
obviously struggled. I think I needed one
more lap because he was really struggling
to get up the hill. I obviously wanted to win,
but nevertheless a good result. As for Bottas’
quick start, Vettel added with a grin, “I was
pretty sure he jumped it.”
Behind the leaders Daniel Ricciardo and
Lewis Hamilton, who started eighth slugged
it out for the final spot on the podium, the
Mercedes driver threw everything at it but the
Red Bull driver denied him to claim third place
at his team’s home race.