Vettel walks away from 150mph crash
SEBASTIAN VETTEL was unscathed after crashing his Ferrari at 150mph during pre-season testing in Barcelona yesterday. The four-time world champion appeared to have been the victim of a damaged front wing that caused him to veer off at the right-handed turn three and hurtle into the barriers. He was taken to the medical centre but given the all clear. ‘It felt as if there was an issue with the front left corner,’ said Vettel, whose Ferrari team have set the pace in Spain. ‘There was nothing I could have done to avoid the impact. I wasn’t in control any longer and went more or less straight into the barriers. We are flat out trying to understand what happened. It would be a lot easier if there was a lot of runoff area but there wasn’t and the car is fairly damaged.’
The Ferrari was lifted by crane off the track as an investigation into the crash was launched at the Circuit de Catalunya and at the factory in Maranello. It appears the broken wing was dragging along the floor as he went into the high-speed bend. Despite their pace advantage, Ferrari squandered valuable track time as the car was repaired. The Italian team also missed some running on Tuesday with concern over their cooling system. Vettel said: ‘The car feels strong and has done from day one.’ The machinery was repaired and the German’s team-mate Charles Leclerc returned to the track for one lap yesterday afternoon as McLaren’s Carlos Sainz led the timings.