- Australian GP
Vettel - 'It's going to be a long season'
Sebastian Vettel came into the Australian Grand Prix with few expectations after a difficult few weeks but even so his fifth-lap retirement while near the back of the field left him visibly frustrated.
"On the second formation lap we lost power for some reason, we don't know why," he said. It's going to be a long season. At the beginning I thought it was OK, but I didn't get any power from the battery and the engine failed.
"We came here to do well. The most important thing is that the car is quick. At least 50% of the garage is happy. It's disappointing when it happens to you but what can I do now?"
Vettel, who qualified in 13th, struggled from the start. On the opening lap he radioed that the "engine is not running smoothly" and although soon after he said he had detected a slight improvement it was not enough and when he was called in he was back in 16th place.
Red Bull boss Christian Horner said Vettel's frustration was understandable. "Everything he tried didn't work but he stuck around, he helped in the garage and was offering advice to the pit wall."
© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
