Formula 1: Sebastian Vettel given 3-spot grid penalty for 2018 U.S. Grand Prix

Scuderia Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel has been issued a three-position grid penalty for Sunday’s Formula 1 race, the United States Grand Prix.

Scuderia Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel is set to start the 18th race of the 21-race 2018 Formula 1 season, the United States Grand Prix, three positions lower than the position in which he qualifies for the race.

The four-time Formula 1 champion was issued a three-position grid penalty as a result of the fact that he failed to slow down sufficiently under red flag conditions in the first free practice session for the 56-lap race around the 20-turn, 3.427-mile (5.513-kilometer) Circuit of the Americas road course in Austin, Texas.

The red flag was flown after Alfa Romeo Sauber rookie Charles Leclerc, who is ironically set to become Vettel’s teammate next season as the replacement for 2007 Formula 1 champion Kimi Raikkonen, spun out in turn nine, as he pulled gravel onto the racing line after he went off the course.

While Vettel slowed down as soon as the red flag came out, he did not meet the strict requirements and was called to the stewards at the end of the session before he was issued this three-position grid penalty. He was also issued two penalty points in his Super License.

Here is what the 31-year-old German had to say about being issued this three-position grid penalty for Sunday’s United States Grand Prix, according to Formula 1.

"“I think I saw the red flag, I slowed down, had a look around [to see] where was the car potentially stuck in the wall if there was one around Turn 9 and 10 and then slowed down significantly to comply with the rules. They found it took too long.“I think it’s the first time we had [the target lap] in the wet and in the wet the target is a lot slower, so literally I have to stop to 30 kph or 40, 50 kph, to bring down the delta, which probably I should do next time. In my opinion it’s not the right thing, [because] if there’s a car behind you, it might run into you, but more important that you don’t get a penalty.”"

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Vettel, who currently sits in second place in the driver standings with four races remaining on the 2018 schedule, trails fellow four-time champion Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport by 67 points in the standings (331 to 264).

With Hamilton having won the United States Grand Prix in each of the last four seasons and in five of the six seasons that it has been held at Circuit of the Americas as well as the fact that he topped the speed chart in both of Friday’s free practice sessions, he is the clear favorite to win the race again, which would give him a great chance to clinch his fifth career championship on Sunday.

Assuming the 33-year-old Briton wins the race, Vettel would need to finish in second place to take the championship fight to the Mexican Grand Prix, where he would then need to win the race without Hamilton scoring points to take the fight to the Brazilian Grand Prix, where he would need to do the same thing to take the fight to the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, where, you guessed, it, he would need to do the same thing to beat Hamilton to his fifth career championship.

As a result of his three-position grid penalty, Vettel will have his work cut out for him in Sunday’s race if he wants to stay mathematically eligible to win this year’s championship. He is the only other driver aside of Hamilton to win a Formula 1 race at Circuit of the Americas, as he won the race in the 2013 season.

Tune in to ABC at 2:10 p.m. ET on Sunday, October 21 to watch the live broadcast of the United States Grand Prix from Circuit of the Americas to see whether or not Sebastian Vettel can overcome his three-position grid penalty to stay mathematically eligible to win the 2018 Formula 1 championship heading into next Sunday’s Mexican Grand Prix.