The German will be back in 12th place after a dramatic qualifying session on Saturday in which wet weather added to the uncertainty created by the radical design changes for this year's cars.
Vettel failed to make it into Q3 for the first time since 2012 as he suffered with engine software problems, but his new teammate Daniel Ricciardo shrugged off the champion team's preseason struggles by being second fastest behind Lewis Hamilton.
Hamilton is one of the early favorites for the title, and his Mercedes team lived up to its billing as Nico Rosberg qualified third ahead of McLaren rookie Kevin Magnussen and Ferrari's two-time world champion Fernando Alonso.
"Qualifying was a lot harder for everyone with the tricky conditions and it was a real challenge out there," said Hamilton, who won the 32nd pole of his career to move up to sixth on the all-time list and match the British record held by Nigel Mansell.
F1's big design changes Can Caterham secure points in 2014? Driving your own F1 car "We were on the edge with the tires and it was difficult to know which way to go at times. It's the first time I've driven the car on the limit in the wet, but it felt great and I'm so happy with the job the team has done," added the 2008 world champion, who was also fastest in Friday's practice sessions.
Vettel, seeking a record-equaling fifth successive title, took some positives from Red Bull's performance.
"I think we have made a big step forward with the car, but of course I'm not happy that we didn't make it to Q3," he said.
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Vettel failed to make it into Q3 for the first time since 2012 as he suffered with engine software problems, but his new teammate Daniel Ricciardo shrugged off the champion team's preseason struggles by being second fastest behind Lewis Hamilton.
Hamilton is one of the early favorites for the title, and his Mercedes team lived up to its billing as Nico Rosberg qualified third ahead of McLaren rookie Kevin Magnussen and Ferrari's two-time world champion Fernando Alonso.
"Qualifying was a lot harder for everyone with the tricky conditions and it was a real challenge out there," said Hamilton, who won the 32nd pole of his career to move up to sixth on the all-time list and match the British record held by Nigel Mansell.
F1's big design changes Can Caterham secure points in 2014? Driving your own F1 car "We were on the edge with the tires and it was difficult to know which way to go at times. It's the first time I've driven the car on the limit in the wet, but it felt great and I'm so happy with the job the team has done," added the 2008 world champion, who was also fastest in Friday's practice sessions.
Vettel, seeking a record-equaling fifth successive title, took some positives from Red Bull's performance.
"I think we have made a big step forward with the car, but of course I'm not happy that we didn't make it to Q3," he said.
http://dbui43.jimdo.com/