Sebastian Ve🐠ttel insists his spin while battling Formula 1 rival Lewis Hamilton during the Bahrain Grand Prix was not related to🌄 pressure. 

The Ferrari driver, who endured a mistake-ridd🔥en campaign in 2018 and made a number of high-profile errors in his title defeat to Hamilton, ended up spinning as the pair fought wheel-to-wheel over second place on Lap 38 of Sunday’s race in Bahrain. 

Severe flatspots on his Pirelli F1 tyres caused his front wing to break away and ultimately for🎀ced Vettel into an unscheduled pit stop as he recovered to a lowly fifth, while Hamilton profited on Charles Leclerc’s engine issues to score an unlikely win. 

But the German denied he is feeling the pressure after a tricky opening two rounds that has left him fifth ༺in the championship and🗹 four points behind teammate Leclerc. 

“I don’t think it has anything to do with pressure⛦,”🎃 Vettel insisted. 

“Obviously, whꦫen I was fighting with Lewis the target was to stay aౠhead and that was the ambition. I got surprised when I lost the rear that suddenly and then when I was in the spin it was already too late. 

“Certainly I had a look at🌺 it agai🃏n - certainly it was my mistake and I need to digest that our race could have been a bit better without that spin at that time. 

“Nevertheless it was difficult race and there is plenty of homework on 💦my side this weekend not having the feel for the car, so we need to have a good look. 

“From a team’s point of view it was a good step forward from two weeks ago. Plenty of reason to look forward and generally I am lo൲oking forwa𝓀rd.” 

Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto moved to 🍎defend his driver when pressed for comment. 

“It was a mistake and I don’t think we should discuss 🤪about mistakes,” he said. 

“We are always in the battle and in the fight, that is what we are doing and it is n🍌ever easy. I think at the end it is something that can always happen. 

“I think we need to encourage our drivers, because it is only by✃ driving to the limit that they achieve the best result and that is wh♏at Seb was trying to do. 

“As he said, there is some homework on th❀e balance to improve, we are still learning about our car. So I think all good in th🦂at respect and we will keep focus on that and hope to improve.”