Sebastian Vettel mentioned Formulation One was fortunate to keep away from “a unique end result” when Lando Norris crashed out of qualifying in moist situations in qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix.
Vettel was livid qualifying was allowed to proceed when he began to rain heavier at first of Q3 and radioed his Aston Martin crew 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 automobile on the strategy to the uphill Eau Rouge nook and crashed closely into the boundaries.
When instructed of the crimson flag on the time, Vettel mentioned on the radio: “Yeah? Nicely what the f– did I say? What did I say!? Pink flags! Pointless.”
Vettel was the following automobile via Eau Rouge and he slowed alongside Norris’ wrecked automobile to examine the English driver was OK, with each drivers giving one another a thumbs up.
Norris climbed out of his automobile and reported he was OK, though he had been despatched to hospital for X-rays to his elbow, which he was holding as he walked away from the automobile.
After the session, Vettel, who mentioned he spoke to FIA race director Michael Masi, mentioned F1 wanted to do a greater job in such conditions.
“I believe Michael [Masi] isn’t happy with what occurred both,” Vettel instructed Sky Sports activities.
“It is all the time straightforward to play Captain Hindsight. I believe we have to discover a manner that we hear extra to the knowledge we’ve. Contained in the storage, it’s totally restricted, it is like looking of a window. Three kilometers that manner, I’ve no clue.
“Once I went all the way down to Eau Rouge and up the hill, it was a variety of water and was calling for a crimson flag. The reality is, the session should not have began in any respect. So I believe the individuals who have been standing on the Kemmel Striaght, they have been within the rain and perhaps 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 totally troublesome to [be]… it is all the time straightforward afterwards.
“However the principle factor is that we be taught from what occurred. It may have been a unique end 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 forestall the crash within the situations.
“There have been issues we may have performed higher, it is higher to be protected one time too many than one time too little,” mentioned Vettel.
“It is good that nothing occurred, that is the principle information, but it surely may’ve been a unique end result for Lando. I am unsure there’s something he may’ve performed.
“In fact, we’re in management and you may say ‘in case you really feel unsafe, field.’ But it surely’s kind 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 be completely as much as us.
“We delayed the session at first when there was much less water so I am not completely positive why we simply did not begin the session. As I mentioned, it is all the time straightforward [to say] afterwards, however the principle factor is it would not occur once more.”