Vettel: I won't lose sleep over Germany crash

The Ferrari F1 driver appeared on course to extend his championship lead over Lewis Hamilton with a victory on home soil at Hockenheim, but slid off the road in the stadium section at the end of lap 52 of 67 when a brief rainshower hit and collided with the barriers.

Asked by TV crews how he could process such a disastrous outcome, Vettel said: "I was in the barrier, and I realise I don't get out from there, so how do you process that?

"I don't think it was a huge mistake, it was a huge impact on the race because we retired.

"But it's not like tonight I will have difficulties to fall asleep because of what I've done wrong.

"It's disappointing because up to that point everything was sweet. We didn't need the rain."

Vettel said he would go away from the weekend looking at the positives about Ferrari's performance, having taken pole position and led the race.

"We have a strong car, so we can be as confident, more confident than anybody else," he added.

"It was a very positive weekend, just one of those moments, and my mistake. "Apologies to the team, they did everything right and I had it in my hands. Small mistake, big disappointment."

Vettel now trails Hamilton - who won the race from 14th on the grid - by 17 points in the championship with 10 races still to go.