Vettel relieved after pole at Hockenheim

Sebastian Vettel said he was relieved after taking pole position at Hockenheim, in qualifying for the Formula 1 German Grand Prix, denying Fernando Alonso and Ferrari first place on the grid by just 2 thousandths. Alonso was fastest in Q1, Q2 and the first run in Q3 before Vettel managed to take the lead.

“It would be interesting to find out how much distance two thousandths actually is,” Vettel said. “Throughout the session Fernando was very strong and Ferrari in general was very competitive. It was exciting and in Q2 I knew I only had one lap to do well. It was tough, I pushed harder, I lost a bit of tire limit and a bit of time. My last run wasn't 100/10 perfect, I lost here and there going a little over the limit but in the end it was enough to stay in front and get pole."

“I'm extremely happy, my first pole in my home race but the biggest challenge will come tomorrow, we have a very strong car here and we will fight hard against the reds” added Vettel.

This is the third consecutive pole for the German but he was unable to maintain the lead at Silverstone.

“I think that unlike Silverstone, here the clean side counts more” he added. “Fernando and I were surprised in the last race by the little grip on the clean side. Here he should favor us”.

“We have a very strong car, it will be a close fight with the Ferraris. We usually have a decent pace in the race, it will be a long race, anything is possible. We start from the best position after having done an excellent job today but what matters is tomorrow. Today there are no real prizes, we just go to sleep with a good feeling" concluded Vettel.