MONTE CARLO, Monaco - Sebastian Vettel's fall from grace has been swift in in the 2014 season after four consecutive Formula 1 titles.
Although a chassis change after the 2014 Chinese GP seems to have worked for Vettel his troubles returned with a vengeance in the 2014 Monaco GP, where poor reliability spoiled not only his qualifying, but also the race.
Vettel said: "A turbo engine with no boost is not a turbo engine."
FRUSTRATION MOUNTS
Monaco was Vettel's 100th GP for Red Bull and the previous nine races of 2013 he won on the trot. After Sunday's (May 25) race Vettel couldn't wait to get out of the Monaco. He said: "How do I get out of here? I don't have a boat!"
His in-race frustration was obvious over the team radio: "Come on guys, I mean, you've tried everything."
Meanwhile team mate Daniel Ricciardo was sweeping up the plaudits and making Vettel look like Red Bull's 'No.2'.
Former F1 driver Martin Brundle said: "Every champion goes through a phase like this at some point. It seems he has inherited Mark Webber's car (referring to the fact that, in the past, it was usually Vettel's ex-team mate with the lion's share of problems).
Vettel said: "It's always something different going wrong but it can't go on for ever."
Mercedes team chairman Niki Lauda admitted he felt for the beleaguered champion. "This can happen when a team is trying hard to come back but unfortunately it's always happening to Vettel. When things go wrong, they go wrong."
German news agency DPA quoted Vettel as saying: "Shit happens. We move on."
Stay with Wheels24 for the 2014 F1 season – fresh reports every day.
Although a chassis change after the 2014 Chinese GP seems to have worked for Vettel his troubles returned with a vengeance in the 2014 Monaco GP, where poor reliability spoiled not only his qualifying, but also the race.
Vettel said: "A turbo engine with no boost is not a turbo engine."
FRUSTRATION MOUNTS
Monaco was Vettel's 100th GP for Red Bull and the previous nine races of 2013 he won on the trot. After Sunday's (May 25) race Vettel couldn't wait to get out of the Monaco. He said: "How do I get out of here? I don't have a boat!"
His in-race frustration was obvious over the team radio: "Come on guys, I mean, you've tried everything."
Meanwhile team mate Daniel Ricciardo was sweeping up the plaudits and making Vettel look like Red Bull's 'No.2'.
Former F1 driver Martin Brundle said: "Every champion goes through a phase like this at some point. It seems he has inherited Mark Webber's car (referring to the fact that, in the past, it was usually Vettel's ex-team mate with the lion's share of problems).
Vettel said: "It's always something different going wrong but it can't go on for ever."
Mercedes team chairman Niki Lauda admitted he felt for the beleaguered champion. "This can happen when a team is trying hard to come back but unfortunately it's always happening to Vettel. When things go wrong, they go wrong."
German news agency DPA quoted Vettel as saying: "Shit happens. We move on."
Stay with Wheels24 for the 2014 F1 season – fresh reports every day.