Formula 1®
DHL Fastest Lap: Battle of Three Begins
World Champion Sebastian Vettel sets his first exclamation point on the season, driving the DHL Fastest Lap at the Spanish Grand Prix in a thrilling charge from P15 to P4 that can only be called “vintage Vettel”. Is the champ back?
Click play above to watch cockpit footage of Sebastian Vettel’s Fastest Lap and DHL’s F1® Expert and former F1 driver Christian Danner tell the story behind it.
The FORMULA 1 GRAN PREMIO DE ESPAÑA PIRELLI 2014 certainly didn’t begin well for the 2013 World Champion. An electrical problem forced Sebastian to sit out second practice after only completing four laps in practice 1. And because the team had to change the gearbox, the German was hit with a five-place grid penalty that put him on P15 for Sunday.
But that didn’t stop the champ from pushing for the podium. Less practice time meant he had an extra set of fresh tires for the race – and he put them to good use in a fine display in the second half of the race. After being held up in traffic early on, Vettel pitted for the harder compound and found his pace. He proceeded to knock off drivers one by one in vintage Vettel style and netted the day’s Fastest Lap in the process. He completed Lap 55 in 1:28.918 – nearly a full second ahead of fellow German Nico Rosberg. Had the race been a few laps longer, he may have been caught up with teammate Daniel Ricciardo, who drove his fastest lap of the day in the penultimate lap to stay ahead of Sebastian.
He was charging through the field; he started P15 and finished P4. I think there is more to come. I think Sebastian is going to be back on the podium very soon. (Christian Danner)
“It helps a little bit that he did stop three times for tires and therefore had another fresh set of rubber that he used to set fastest lap,” says Christian Danner, DHL’s F1 expert and former F1 driver. “I’m sure this is going to boost his hopes and his liking of his new car under the new regulations.”
We all know that the 2013 DHL Fastest Lap Award winner loves to be the fastest man on the track on Sunday – so we couldn’t agree with you more, Christian.
“I know his personal feelings about setting fastest lap,” adds Danner. “It really gives him personal satisfaction.”
See all Danner’s Fastest Lap Tips and Reviews?
Christian Danner shares the Fastest Lap story with us each week and you can have a look back at his past picks and reviews at any time on DHL's YouTube channel. Before and after each Grand Prix™ this season, Christian Danner offers up his pick for the DHL Fastest Lap and then reviews that perfect lap after the race. “One thing that is so cool about the fastest lap,” says Danner, “is that there’s always a story behind the story.”
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