Sebastian Vettel played down the impact of his tap with the wall that compromised his run plan during second practice for Formula 1’s Singapore Grand Prix.
Vettel has made costly errors in two of the past four Grands Prix and was on a qualifying simulation when he hit the wall with the right-front and right-rear as he negotiated the exit of Turn 21.
Vettel’s car did not sustain substantial cosmetic damage and he was able to return to the pits untroubled, but he did not re-emerge in the session while Ferrari undertook internal repairs.
In Full: Singapore FP2 results
It meant Vettel not only missed out on concluding his Hypersoft run but did not participate in the remainder of the session, in which drivers carry out race simulations.
“After hitting the wall we took some precautions and decided to stop running,” said Vettel, whose Ferrari team-mate Kimi Raikkonen led the way beneath the floodlights.
“We lost some time, which is not ideal, but nevertheless I got a good feeling with the car.
“Luckily, I’ve been here before and I know the track so I can make up for lost time.
“Tomorrow I’ll be keen on finding the right balance to feel the car a little better than I did this evening. Then, I think it should be fine.
“Kimi’s data is very important too and it’s good to know he had a smooth session.
“In the evening we tried something on our car which didn’t work very well, but the car is good and has potential.”
Vettel currently trails Mercedes rival Lewis Hamilton by 30 points in their battle for a respective fifth world championship.
Vettel has taken victory at the Singapore Grand Prix on four occasions, most recently in 2015.
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