Sebastian Vettel says 2016 has been a tough Formula 1 season for Ferrari but is pleased to finish the year “on a high”.
The German driver started the race in fifth place and held his position early on, before Ferrari opted to put him on a different strategy to the rest.
He spent some time in the lead mid-way through, before a later stop to go onto the super-soft tyre.
With the advantage in the closing stages, he quickly closed in on the Red Bulls, passing them and latching onto the back of Nico Rosberg’s Mercedes.
However, he couldn’t quite get close enough to successfully pull off an overtake, despite several attempts. He finished the race third.
“It was tough out there, the last couple of laps,” he said on the podium afterwards. “I didn't want to be in his [2016 champion Rosberg] shoes.
“I was trying to get close and have another go. I thought why not pass both of them if Lewis [Hamilton] is going that slow in front.
“It was difficult, my tyres were also dropping towards the end. [I was a] Bit stuck at the beginning of the race. I was starting to get a bit frustrated. Once I had clean air, I could really unleash the pace that we had today.
“I think the whole team deserves the podium today. We've worked so hard. We've had so much criticism this year, sometimes right, sometimes not justified.
“That's how it goes, it's a tough game. We're fighting really tough opponents. It's been a tough year but obviously it's nice to finish on a high.
“We take that momentum into next year. There's a lot of work going on back at Maranello so thanks to the guys there.”
