MONZA, Italy -- Sebastian Vettel admits he let down Ferrari's Tifosi at the Italian Grand Prix on Sunday after the team missed out on its first victory at Monza since 2010.
Vettel started on the front row of the grid behind teammate Kimi Raikkonen on pole position but by the end of the race they had been demoted to fourth and second. Vettel's chances slipped away at the second chicane when contact with title rival Lewis Hamilton pitched him into a spin and dropped him to the back of the order.
"Obviously it's a disappointment for the weekend, for the people [who came here]," he said after the race. "I feel like I've let them down because I think they deserved a different result today. But after I had that [collision], I did everything I could, with the damage I had on the car -- the whole side was missing -- I think it was reasonable. But not great, obviously."
Hamilton went on to take victory on Sunday, opening up a 30-point lead in the championship with just seven races left. Despite the large deficit, Vettel is confident he can still challenge for the title.
"It's a bit of a gap, but it's nothing that we didn't do in the past. I've been in these situations, I know what to do and I'm not going to bother too much about what happened today.
"For sure it's a disappointment right now, but very quickly I am turning the page and focusing on Singapore -- I like the place and I am happy to go there."