Vettel: “Qualifying better than expected”

Sebastian Vettel said he came closer than expected to McLaren in qualifying for the Formula 1 Korean GP. Lewis Hamilton ended Red Bull's qualifying dominance at Yeongam by taking pole position.

But Vettel managed to qualify ahead of Jenson Button's other McLaren, lapping 3 hundredths behind Hamilton.

“To be honest I think McLaren were very, very competitive yesterday,” commented Vettel. “I know the conditions are completely different, but they were well ahead of everyone, even this morning in the dry. Once again, we really pushed the limit in qualifying and got very close, closer than they expected and expected so we did a great job in qualifying,” Vettel added.

Red Bull used a set of super soft tires in Q1 to save a set of soft tires for the race, a choice that will prove to be an advantage according to Vettel.

“We saved all our prime tyres, they will be crucial for tomorrow. There isn't a long straight until the first turn and turn 3 allows for overtaking. It's a long race, a lot can happen. Tire degradation is crucial and Jenson had a great race last week."