Vettel is very happy at Red Bull
The double German world champion, during the celebrations surrounding his victory in his hometown of Heppenheim, reflected on his season, his future with Red Bull, and, more broadly, what he still has left to achieve in Formula One.
Heppenheim, a small German town of 25,000 inhabitants, has duly celebrated the second consecutive world championship title of its hometown hero: Sebastian Vettel. More than 30,000 fans of the German gathered for the occasion, to his great delight: « I travel a lot around the world and we have a lot of fans, but I have never seen so many Red Bull caps before. It couldn’t be better. Thank you very much. Last year was already incredible, but today, it’s even better. It’s a wonderful day thanks to you » he thanked his fans.
The German driver also had the opportunity to reflect on his triumphant season with the media: « I think it’s been another very successful year. It’s just incredible what we’ve accomplished. It’s the little things, like coming home and opening the door, that allow you to realize what has happened and that all the hours spent have paid off. However, the season is not over. We have three races left, as many opportunities to show what we are capable of. »
The season for the Red Bull driver isn’t over yet, with some records still within his reach, including the number of wins in a season – 13, Michael Schumacher (2004) –, the number of podiums in the same year – 17, Michael Schumacher (2002) – and of course the number of pole positions in a single season – 14, Nigel Mansell (1992). However, Sebastian Vettel insists he isn’t thinking about records: « I’m interested in the sport, I know its history and the figures. I like seeing my name somewhere from time to time, but I don’t set victory goals or things like that. I don’t race for statistics. I’m a big fan of sports. I’ve always loved Formula One, ever since I was a kid, and that hasn’t changed. »
The one who claimed to have the three Michaels (Schumacher, Jordan, and Jackson) as his childhood idols never hid his ambition to one day join Scuderia Ferrari, thus following more closely in the footsteps of his illustrious predecessor. However, the Red Bull driver took the opportunity during the celebrations of his second title to renew his vows of loyalty to the team with which he is contracted until 2014: “As far as I’m concerned, I’m very happy where I am. I think we’ve achieved a lot together over the past three years. We’ve been able to raise our game, more or less, in all areas. The entire team has become more professional, more dedicated, and everyone is working hand in hand to succeed.”
Modest, Sebastian Vettel is keen to remind that his success is above all that of Red Bull: « It’s not common to be part of something like this, and I don’t see myself saying that this is what I did: it’s what they did. We are a team and we are happy with everything we do » asserts the German.
Youngest double world champion in Formula One history, Sebastian Vettel earns admiration from Adrian Newey, who describes him as a “little sponge” in reference to his ability to learn from his mistakes. The young German driver confirms: “It’s always difficult to know where to improve. I think at 24, there are still many areas to improve, whether behind the wheel or outside of it. We must always be ready to learn, and small improvements can make a difference. For example, when I think back to South Korea, we were able to learn lessons from Japan, both as a team and myself.”
If the German learns the lessons from his Grand Prix in South Korea, then the competition should be worried for the next Grand Prix in India.
