After a disappointing result in Australia, Sebastian Vettel intends to make up for it in Imola. To do so, the German driver finished ninth in qualifying for Saturday’s Formula 1 sprint race. And the 34-year-old was keen to acknowledge the great team effort put in by Aston Martin Racing F1 on Friday.

Sebastian Vettel’s first race of the F1 season was not a success, as he was forced to retire from the Australian Grand Prix. The Aston Martin driver is now looking to make up for it in Imola, at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix on Sunday. The German has given himself the chance to get a good position in the race from the qualifying session. Sebastian Vettel reached Q3 and was placed in 9th position for the sprint on Saturday.

The 34-year-old driver was also keen to pay tribute to the great team effort made on Friday, in a bid to rally a team in crisis with a car not intended for this Formula One season.

“We qualified today in a place that is not ours,” admits Vettel,

“It took me a little while to get comfortable, but from the first lap of Q2 I was quite happy. In Q3 I only had one clean lap. In the second practice I braked too late and went wide in the second corner, and then there were only red flags.

“It’s a shame that it ended a bit disappointing, but we should be able to have a good weekend. We know it won’t be easy. It was the first time I reached Q3 in 2022 and the first time this year that both cars were in Q2. It’s a good effort from the team,” Sebastian Vettel said.