28/07/2013
NEWS STORY
Sebastian Vettel: "I would have loved the race to have been a bit longer, as it was fun with Kimi at the end. It's hard to pass on this track, I got close but I wasn't in the prime overtaking spot at that point; I was trying to set something up for the next corners, but it didn't work. The key issue in the race was when I got stuck behind Jenson, there's no one to blame for that, I lost more time than expected on the way into the first stop and we came out just behind him. I couldn't get past; I tried to force it and damaged my front wing, which was a mistake from my side. I was maybe trying to urge a bit too much. It was close with Kimi and nice to be on the podium again today. Congratulations to Lewis, he did a good job today."
Mark Webber: "I think we had the right strategy. We knew there was a lot of pressure on getting a good first lap and I got some clear air, which worked well. The start was okay and the first sector was very good, I was able to put a bit of pressure on Kimi and then we just settled in. I had a pretty tricky car for the first three or four laps, as I knew the option tyres were quite grippy and after that we just got our heads down. I don't think we could have got much more than that result today. The strategy was pretty solid and you have to pace the option tyres until the end."
Christian Horner, Team Principal: "A very hot and tough afternoon. Probably the decisive moment in Sebastian's race was after the first stop when he emerged behind Jenson Button. We weren't able to get past quickly and sustained a bit of wing damage. That then effectively released Lewis and put us back into the realms of fighting with Kimi on a two stop. However, despite the damage, Sebastian was able to maintain a very strong pace and pushed all the way to the flag. Mark's recovery from tenth was excellent today, a very strong first stint put him back into contention and to recover from tenth on the grid to fourth was a very good performance. So heading into the summer break, we've extended our lead in the Drivers' and Constructors' Championships and everyone now deserves a well-earned rest to recharge their batteries for when we come back at the end of August."
Thierry Salvi, Renault: "We would have liked to finish the race in higher positions, but the weekend has been strong and we improved the car during all sessions. Seb and Mark did a fantastic job in the race, Mark was able to come back towards the front and Seb pushed like hell until the end. We are happy with the third and fourth places which increases our positions in the both Championships."
Check out our race day gallery, here.