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One year ago, Ferrari locked out the front row at Spa – with Charles Leclerc storming to pole position and Sebastian Vettel following suit. A year on, both Ferrari cars finished qualifying in close proximity, Leclerc leading Vettel yet again in P13 and 14 respectively.

Ferrari was always going to struggle at Spa Francorchamps. With a car that’s seemingly flawed across all fronts, both drivers had a herculean task in trying to get the SF1000 to a competitive grid spot.

P13 is not exciting like P1: Sebastian Vettel

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At one stage, a shock Q1 exit seemed a very real possibility. Thankfully, the Scuderia barely managed to scrape through but it was the best they could manage. Only outqualifying William’s George Russell, Sebastian Vettel maintained a practical outlook as he reflected on a difficult qualy session.

The 4 times World Champion revealed that there were apprehensions of a possible Q1 exit on Saturday morning. The Scuderia got into Q2 by virtue of its customer teams struggling to eke out the necessary lap times.

“This morning we looked like we didn’t make it to Q2 and we did with both cars,” Vettel said.

“So obviously that’s not a success but it’s everything that we could do today and it’s where we stand”

When asked how useful it was to continue with Ferrari in its current form, Vettel replied claiming he still liked driving.

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“It’s my job and I still like driving so obviously P13 is not exciting like P1”

In many ways, Ferrari’s poor engine was the team’s saving grace. However, that didn’t stop fans from criticizing the team on social media over its sub-optimal result.

Vettel’s no stranger to premature qualy eliminations, as the German driver’s failed to progress from Q2 on multiple instances this season. Even by Ferrari’s 2020 standards, starting P14 is a new low in the Ferrari – Vettel relationship.

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The only silver lining in all of this is free tire choice and a risk of rain in tomorrow’s race. A damp track always turns the race on its head and separates the good from the best. With little to lose, Ferrari can split strategies and gamble on a risky race plan.

Can Ferrari salvage anything out of a weekend that’s been utterly disappointing?