Vettel and Webber are eager to compete
Red Bull drivers are announced as the favorites for 2012 - with Vettel leading. But Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel are not making any predictions, they have only one desire: to rediscover the joy of competition in their F1 single-seaters.
The Red Bull Racing team is coming off two exceptional seasons in 2010 and 2011, during which it won all four titles at stake. For the 2012 season, the Austrian team hopes to continue dominating the top spots, but the competition is expected to be fierce.
Sebastian Vettel believes that his team has managed to make progress with the RB8 since Jerez, and he is eager to race in Australia to start this new season: « The testing has been very intense in recent weeks, and I think we’ve made a good step forward with the car. You never really know where you stand until we get to Melbourne, and even then, you don’t have a clear idea (of the hierarchy) before the qualifying session – so I’m looking forward to the weekend starting. »
The German driver shared that he enjoyed the atmosphere of the Australian race and even though the Albert Park circuit is not necessarily the simplest for the single-seater, he is eager to drive his F1 again: « Australia and Malaysia are two different circuits, so it’s difficult to make comparisons. Australia is not a permanent circuit, it’s quite bumpy and challenging for the car. Malaysia is smoother as it’s a permanent circuit with fast corners, but both are good tracks, and Australia is one of the best places I love to go. It’s good to know that we’re going back to competition, I can’t wait any longer. »
Same desire from his teammate, Mark Webber, who will also have the advantage of racing in front of his home crowd: « It will be my 11th Australian Grand Prix and I am eagerly anticipating its start. The Grand Prix is one of the best sporting events we have in Australia. It’s nice to see supporters and Australian flags in the crowd. I’ve incorporated more than one Australian theme on my helmet, which I will use throughout the year, not just in Australia. »
The Australian driver believes that the Red Bull team has made progress this winter thanks to hard work, and he hopes it will pay off this weekend in Melbourne for the F1 season opener: « It has been an extremely intense few months for the whole team, and it’s incredible when you count the hours of sleep spent working to improve the car as much as possible – from pit stops to reliability and driver comfort in the cockpit, we have always aimed to improve. There is always great interest in the first race; this year will be no different, and there’s no better place to start than Australia. »
