Sebastian Vettel said the Russian Grand Prix was won on the run down to Turn 2, during which he lost the lead of the race to Mercedes' Valtteri Bottas.
Vettel started from pole position for the first time since Singapore 2015 on Sunday, but had lost the lead by the time he reached the first braking point at Turn 2. Bottas got a good start from third on the grid and was able to slipstream Vettel before completing the move under braking.
Asked if he would have won the race with a better start, Vettel said: "Well it's difficult to pass, let's put it that way.
"I think it would've been difficult for Valtteri to put a lot of pressure on even though he had, I would say, superior pace in the first stint. I think if you look at that stint I was struggling in the beginning then sort of froze the gap and then I was able to close
"I think overall he was a bit quicker in the first stint, but for the race overall it could match, so yeah, the first lap mattered. As I said he executed the start well, for sure this year this is crucial with the hands, he did a good job, and then he drove a very good first stint which didn't give us the opportunity to put him under pressure and do something on the pit stop because we were simply too far away."
Vettel said his initial start was good, but then the slipstream Bottas got behind meant the Mercedes was faster on the run to Turn 2.
"I thought my start was okay, it wasn't bad. I thought maybe there was a bit in the very beginning where I could have been more aggressive. I think I ended up being too conservative. Still, I had a good start, I looked in the mirror and I think mine was better than Kimi.
"I saw Valtteri coming and I thought 'OK it will be close', but it felt like I had a tent dragging behind me, and he was gaining a lot! He was able to, even before we hit the braking, to come back and shut the door so he did well but nothing I could've done, then I had the outside line but nowhere to go. So yeah, that's part of where we lost today and then the first stint, we were just not quick enough to stay with him.
"At the end of the day we can talk about my race, but today is Valtteri's day. He drove a fantastic race he had an incredible pace because if you look all weekend where he's been compared to his teammate so he's done a superb job, it's his day, and he deserves to win because he drove better than the rest of us. It's not easy to swallow, I would've loved to come back, but that's the way it is today."
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