It sounds like Sebastian Vettel was quite eager to get the Eifel Grand Prix underway; so much so, that there was a moment where he tried to get ahead before the lights fully went out!

Although the FIA Race Control will take a look at the German’s transgression, he did not really cross his P11 grid line; therefore, it should not really be a matter of trouble for the 33-year-old.

Alongside him in P12 was Pierre Gasly, hoping to get ahead of Vettel; unfortunately, Gasly himself dropped down a series of places dur to a lack of acceleration at the right time.

Sebastian Vettel dropped places on Lap 1 after a poor start

Already starting in P11, Vettel had to get the perfect start to leapfrog the McLaren cars and Perez’s Racing Point. Unfortunately, the dummy start coupled with other drivers’ determination saw him slip down to P13.

Teammate Charles Leclerc, on the other hand, got the start he desired. Starting from P4, he paced along the straight and at Turn 1 almost giving Verstappen a run for his money.

It was always going to be a tough race for Vettel, and now, the only chances of a points finish could possibly be boosted by rains influencing the drivers’ racing.

Vettel suffers rear axle lock-up as he slides off the track

Just as he had made up the places into P9, Sebastian Vettel’s rear axle got caught up as he tried to get past Antonio Giovinazzi. It resulted in a heavy lock-up, seeing him completely slide off the track.

That meant a huge loss in terms of momentum with the AlphaTauri and Haas drivers getting past him. However, the Ferrari driver found his way back to the track without suffering any significant damage.

Vettel had mentioned that the earlier configuration from Hungary could see them use the downforce of Nurburgring in their favor. However, the race terrain obviously differs from that of previous occasions.

All said and done, Vettel will look to redeem himself of the number of errors he committed during the race. What’s more, the light showers that were predicted ahead of the race could very well play a role in Vettel’s quest for vindication.