Red Bull frustrated after dismal qualifying performance

Vettel suffers worst qualifying performance since Brazil ’09

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14 April 2012 - 20:46

Reigning Constructors’ Champions Red Bull have suffered one of their worst qualifying performances in recent years after Sebastian Vettel was eliminated after Q2 and Mark Webber failed to shine in Q3 with the two eventually qualifying 11th and 7th respectively.

After Mark Webber topped the timing sheets in Q2, he was unable to replicate such a time in Q3 on the softer tyre as the track temperature began to fall. This subsequently resulted in Webber qualifying 7th, with the likes of the two Mercedes’, Kimi Raikkonen and Jenson Button all ahead of him in Q3.

“The Q2 lap wasn’t bad, but I didn’t get the Q3 lap together as I would have liked.” Explained a frustrated Mark Webber, “It’s a bit all over the place with pulling a lap time together on the soft tyre, but I would have liked to have finished a row further up. It’s frustrating. We know we have a good race car, so it will be interesting to see how it unfolds tomorrow. It’s very close and we’ll keep pushing.”

Further down the order, reigning World Champion Sebastian Vettel’s season continued it’s uncompetitive form as the German was unable to progress through to Q3. With Vettel stating there was no problem with the car, the Red Bull driver has admitted that the Milton Keynes based outfit simply weren’t fast enough in comparison to the likes of Mercedes, McLaren and Sauber.

“There was no problem with the car, but I couldn’t get the final few tenths.” Said Sebastian Vettel, who suffered his worst qualifying since Brazil 2009. “I was happy with the laps I did in Q2, but they weren’t quick enough and we couldn’t make it in to Q3. We weren’t fast enough and we have to accept it. We start from P11 tomorrow and see what we can do from there.”

Regardless of the teams uncompetitive qualifying efforts, both drivers’ are still confident heading into the race. With a 56-lap race ahead of them, the possibilities are endless in a season which is quickly becoming renowned for its unpredictability.

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