• Monaco Grand Prix

Test didn't give Mercedes win - Vettel

Sebastian Vettel extended his championship lead with second place in Monaco © Sutton Images

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• Race:
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• Drivers:
• Sebastian Vettel

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Sebastian Vettel said Mercedes didn't win the Monaco Grand Prix because of its tyre test with Pirelli last week.

Red Bull and Ferrari lodged a protest after it became apparent Mercedes had carried out a three-day tyre test with Pirelli following the Spanish Grand Prix using its 2013 car. After finishing second to Nico Rosberg in Monaco, Vettel said the test was a strange situation but that it wasn't the reason Rosberg had won.

"I found out [about the test] yesterday actually," Vettel said. "I was surprised, surely, but I don't know much more. It's a bit weird if the regulations obviously don't allow you to test and one team goes testing and then there's talk of a certain agreement, blah, blah, blah. It's not good at the end of the day, what's the solution now? Does everybody have a go for the three days? Or are they the only ones? It's just silly now to come up with all these discussions for nothing.

"I don't think they won today because of last week - I want to get that straight - but surely it helps if you get extra experience, time to test - we know that testing at the race is very limited - Not for one particular race but for the remainder of the season."

Looking at the race itself, Vettel said he was pleased to finish second having had to slot in behind the two Mercedes at the start.

"Overall I'm very happy and pleased with the result. We know that it's very difficult to overtake here. Congratulations to Nico, he did a very good job, a very controlled race. I think he had the pace and the tyres to respond whenever we tried to get a little bit closer.

"The start of the race was a fantastic start but no room! I think I could have gone past both Mercedes but didn't have the room so had to lift and then Mark came and it was tight in to the first corner. After that I was surprised by the slow pace in the opening laps; you expect two silver arrows in front of you and there were two buses today going for a cruise! But obviously the strategy was clear and they did a very good job. We were lacking on the strategy point of view; the team did a fantastic job to get past Lewis … I think we can be happy with the result, a great achievement from the team again."

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