Defending world champion Sebastian Vettel has accepted full responsibility for failing to qualify on pole position for tomorrow’s Monaco Grand Prix, having made a small error in Q3 which meant that he could not challenge Nico Rosberg at the front.
The Red Bull driver finished 3rd in the final session behind Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton, but he feels that the 0.104 second gap would have been surmountable if he hadn’t made a slight error.
“I think it was very close,” Vettel said in the post-qualifying press conference.
“Mercedes were very quick all weekend and we know they are good over one lap. But I don’t want that to sound like an excuse, I think there was a bit more than a tenth missing and I think I had that today, but it didn’t come together on the last lap.
“The car was really, really good so if anyone is to blame it is me. I am not entirely happy with the last lap, but still pretty happy there is not a Ferrari or a Lotus ahead.”
Having beaten his closest championship rivals in qualifying, Vettel has now set his sights on getting ahead of both Mercedes drivers, believing that he can beat both Rosberg and Hamilton on the same strategy.
“Tomorrow I think Mercedes will have to stop at least as much as us so I think sitting in third is a good result and should be a good opportunity to win the race.”
Mercedes have suffered with heavy rear tire wear so far this season, and they have failed to win from any of the three pole positions they have claimed in 2013. Therefore, Red Bull will be pleased to have locked out the second row, and will be undoubtedly be in the running for the win on Sunday.
Seattle Supercross by the numbers: Three riders separated by 17 points
Three riders remain locked in a tight battle with 17 points separating the leader Cooper Webb from third-place Chase Sexton and these are only a few Supercross numbers to consider entering Seattle.Chase Sexton made a statement in Detroit with his second win of 2023. – Feld Motor Sports
Webb and Tomac won the last four championships with two apiece in alternating years, but they were not one another’s primary rival for most of those seasons. On the average, however, the past four years show an incredible similarity with average points earned of 21.0 for Webb and 21.3 for Tomac. With five wins so far this season, Tomac (23 wins) leads Webb (19) in victories but Webb (43) edges Tomac (41) in podium finishes during this span.
Tomac has won two of the last three Seattle races and those two wins in this stadium are topped only by James Stewart. Fittingly, if Tomac gets a third win this week, he will tie Stewart for second on the all-time wins’ list. Tomac tied Ricky Carmichael for third with 48 wins at Oakland and took sole possession of that spot with his Daytona win.
Sexton still has a lot to say and after winning last week in Detroit, he is speaking up. The Supercross numbers are against him entering Seattle, however, because a points’ deficit this large after Round 10 has been erased only once. In 1983 David Bailey was 47 points behind Bob Hannah, and like Sexton he was also in third place. Bailey took the points’ lead with one race remaining.
The seven points Sexton was penalized last week for jumping in a red cross flag section in Detroit could prove extremely costly.
In fact, it has been a series of mistakes that has cost Sexton the most. In the last two weeks, he lost 10 points with a 10th-place finish to go with his penalty. Erase those, and all three riders hold their fate in their hands.
Plessinger’s heartbreak in Detroit is still fresh, but the upside of his run is that was his best of the season and could turn his fortunes around. Prior to that race, he led only seven laps in three mains. He was up front for 20 laps in Detroit with five of those being the fastest on the track.
Last week’s win by Hunter Lawrence tied him with his brother Jett Lawrence for 17th on the all-time wins’ list. With the focus shifting to 250 West for the next two rounds, Jett has a great opportunity to pull back ahead. The real test will be at the first East / West Showdown in East Rutherford, New Jersey on April 22.
Last Five Seattle Winners
450s 2022: Eli Tomac
2019: Marvin Musquin
2018: Eli Tomac
2017: Marvin Musquin
2014: Ryan Villopoto
