Sebastian Vettel mentioned Method One was fortunate to keep away from “a unique final result” when Lando Norris crashed out of qualifying in moist circumstances in qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix.
Vettel was livid qualifying was allowed to proceed when it began to rain heavier firstly of Q3 and radioed his Aston Martin group that the session must be red-flagged as a result of quantity of standing water on the circuit.
Shortly after his message, McLaren driver Norris misplaced management of his automotive on the strategy to the uphill Eau Rouge nook and crashed closely into the boundaries.
When advised of the pink flag on the time, Vettel mentioned on the radio: “Yeah? Properly what the f– did I say? What did I say!? Crimson flags! Pointless.”
Vettel was the following automotive by way of Eau Rouge and he slowed alongside Norris’ wrecked automotive to examine the English driver was OK, with each drivers giving one another a thumbs up.
Norris climbed out of his automotive and reported he was OK, though he has been despatched to hospital for X-rays to his elbow, which he was holding as he walked away from the automotive.
Vettel, who mentioned he spoke to FIA race director Michael Masi after the session, mentioned F1 wanted to do a greater job in such conditions.
“I believe Michael” [Masi] just isn’t pleased with what occurred both,” Vettel advised Sky Sports activities.
“It is all the time simple to play Captain Hindsight. I believe we have to discover a method that we hear extra to the data that now we have. Contained in the storage, it’s extremely restricted, it is like looking of a window. Three kilometers that method, I’ve no clue.
“Once I went all the way down to Eau Rouge and up the hill, it was numerous water and was calling for a pink flag. The reality is, the session shouldn’t have began in any respect. So I believe the folks that have been standing on the Kemmel Striaght, they have been within the rain and possibly we should always have listened to these.”
When requested if he was indignant at Masi for not stopping the session, Vettel mentioned: “Offended… I believe it’s extremely tough to [be]… it is all the time simple afterwards.
“However the principle factor is that we realized from what occurred. It may have been a unique final result with the crash. I believe we have been fortunate that nothing unhealthy occurred.”
Vettel added that he felt “large” aid when Norris signaled that he was OK instantly after the crash.
Vettel felt Norris was powerless to do stop the crash within the circumstances.
“There have been issues we may have accomplished higher, it is higher to be secure one time too many than one time too little,” Vettel mentioned.
“It is good that nothing occurred, that is the principle information, but it surely may’ve been a unique final result for Lando. I am unsure there may be something he may’ve accomplished.
“In fact, we’re in management and you may say ‘for those who really feel unsafe, field.’ But it surely’s type of a bizarre scenario as a result of everyone seems to be in the identical scenario and you do not need to get kicked out [of qualifying], you need to progress. That call should not solely be as much as us.
“We delayed the session firstly when there was much less water so I am not solely positive why we simply did not begin the session. As I mentioned, it is all the time simple [to say] afterwards, however the principle factor is it does not occur once more.”