Sebastian Vettel says he has no regrets about his late error in last year's Canadian Grand Prix that gifted victory to Jenson Button.
World Champion "not complaining" about late slip in 2011
Sebastian Vettel says he has no regrets about his late error in last year's Canadian Grand Prix that gifted victory to Jenson Button.
The World Champion headed to Montreal 12 months ago having won five races out of six but having led the rain-interrupted race almost from start to finish, he made a rare mistake on the 70th and final lap.
Vettel's error came at Turn 6, where he put a wheel off the dry line - a slip that helped enable Button, who had come through the field from last place, to snatch the lead.
Returning to the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve on Thursday, Vettel was phlegmatic when asked whether he had cracked under pressure.
"It was a very difficult race, one of the most difficult we had last year," he said. "Just given the conditions: a lot of rain we had in between and we did everything right. I never had a mistake until the last lap.
"I think there were plenty of opportunities in the race to lose the car and spin like other people did. We controlled the race from first place, we faced a couple of safety car phases and always lost our lead at the time because the safety car came out, which obviously gave the chance for people behind to close back up. That's how racing is, I'm not complaining.
"And then the last lap I did a little bit of a mistake and lost the position to Jenson, which was obviously hurting at the time because we were leading every single lap except that one - or the last half lap - so of course it wasn't nice.
"He drove a fantastic race; I told him after the race that he did an incredible job to win the race, and I did that mistake which cost me the win. So no regrets really."
Vettel has, so far, won once in what has turned into a wide-open 2012 season and currently stands joint second in the Drivers' Championship alongside team-mate Mark Webber.
The pair will race with modified cars this weekend after the FIA said they must remove holes that had sat in front of the RB8's rear wheels and offered an aerodynamic advantage.
Webber reacted angrily on Thursday when it was suggested that his win in Monaco, together with Vettel's in Bahrain, was achieved with an illegal car.
Vettel himself was more relaxed about the situation, however, saying it was a shame the governing body had changed its mind having previously said the holes were legal but stressing any advantage they gave had been minimal.
"I didn't feel there was anything wrong with the car in Monaco, or the car we had previously. Nevertheless, I don't think it will make a big difference. It's a shame it goes one way and the other, one way and the other," he said.
"It's difficult to really understand what is going on. Probably Mark touched on it a little bit more but in the end I don't think there will be a big penalty, so we should be okay."
With the possibility that F1 could have its seventh winner in as many races by the end of the weekend, Vettel also said he agreed with Fernando Alonso's suggestion that some teams could soon pull clear.
"I don't think it's possible to have 20 different winners," he joked. "I think the more races we have, the closer it will get at the top. Obviously it's important to get good results and, as Fernando said, to make that step that might separate you from the others."
