The meagre cost of Sebastian Vettel’s engine failure

THE brutal reality of Sebastian Vettel’s heartbreaking exit to the Japanese Grand Prix last weekend has been revealed.

Ferrari's German driver Sebastian Vettel (R) talks with his team staff before the start of the Formula One Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka on October 8, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / Kazuhiro NOGI

SOMETIMES the little things in life can give you the biggest headaches.

Ferrari gun Sebastian Vettel went through hell at the Japanese Grand Prix after qualifying on the front row with championship rival Lewis Hamilton. The 30-year-old, who was on the back of a stunning comeback to place fourth in Malaysia, was forced out of Suzuka in the fourth lap after experiencing power problems. It was later revealed a spark plug was the cause Vettel’s engine flop.

With hundreds of millions of dollars put through Ferrari each year in their bid to challenge Mercedes for the title, a fix as meagre as a spark plug is surely a little embarrassing for the Scuderia. President Sergio Marchionne was forced to own up and reveal the price was a meagre £52 (A$88).

“It was a technical nonsense that had an impact on the car,” he said before admitting his team “ignored” the severity of the problem.

You can bet your bottom dollar your average motorist would scoff at the thought of shelling out $88 for a spark plug — but if it meant staying in the race to win a fifth Formula One world championship, chances are you’d shell out the cash.

Unfortunately for Vettel, when his malfunction came about in Japan, it was far too late to act. The retirement saw him all but lose his chance at pipping Hamilton for the 2017 title. The Brit sits relatively unchallenged atop the driver’s standings with a 59-point lead over his German rival going into the final four races of the year.

Ferrari has been experiencing a horror show over the last month with their season going pear-shaped seconds after lights-out in Singapore. Vettel collided with teammate Kimi Raikkonen before the first corner and saw the Scuderia lose all hope of a productive weekend at the Sepang International Circuit.

“Their car has been wonderfully quick all year, but they have imploded,” wrote Daily Mail F1 reporter Jonathan McEvoy.

“Ferrari have only themselves to blame,” Sunday Times F1 reporter Rebecca Clancy added. “They have one of the biggest budgets in the paddock, about £300 million (A$500 million), but still they cannot win the title, while their rivals with similarly deep pockets have thrived.”

Minutes before it all went wrong.

FAIRYTALE F1 COMEBACK IN FULL SWING

Polish driver Robert Kubica has completed a one-day test with Williams at Silverstone on Wednesday as he pushes for a Formula One comeback after a seven- year absence.

The F1 team said they had been a “successful day” with the 32-year-old driving a 2014-specification FW36 car at the British Grand Prix circuit. No lap times or any further information about the program were provided. The Pole, who won the 2008 Canadian grand prix with BMW Sauber in 2008, is scheduled for a further assessment at Budapest’s Hungaroring this month with Williams’ British reserve driver Paul di Resta also due to feature in that two- day test.

Both are in the frame to replace 36-year-old Felipe Massa, should Williams decide not to renew the Brazilian’s contract.

Kubica partially severed his right forearm in an horrific 2011 crash during a rally he entered for fun before the start of that F1 season, and there are lingering doubts about his arm movement.

However, he completed 142 laps of the Hungarian Grand Prix circuit in August in a test with Renault that revealed no “obvious roadblocks”, according to the French team.

He is being assisted by Germany’s 2016 world champion Nico Rosberg, a friend and former rival who started his F1 career with Williams in 2006 before moving to Mercedes.

“He showed in the Renault test he is ready and there’s no doubt about that anymore. Physically he is 100 per cent in the car, so it’s a really exciting time,” Rosberg told Sky Sports television at the weekend in Japan. “He did double race stints with Renault and was always on the pace so there’s not that to prove. I think it’s more about getting to know each other and see if it’s a good fit.”

— with AAP