Sebastian Vettel looks back on his fourth title

By securing his fourth consecutive title at the Indian Grand Prix, Sebastian Vettel further cemented his place in Formula 1 legend, joining Juan-Manuel Fangio (five titles), Alain Prost (four titles), and Michael Schumacher (seven titles) among the drivers who have achieved a collection of crowns.

When it came to addressing the post-quadruple victory, the Red Bull driver wanted to thank certain people dear to his heart: « All my family, my parents and my brother, and obviously my girlfriend. » But more than anyone, it’s Hanna Prater, his partner, he thinks of during these moments of joy: « If I had to dedicate this title to someone, it would be my girlfriend, because this season wasn’t very easy with all the ups and downs and some emotions that also hurt inside. In these situations, you need someone who gives you a lot of love and strength to get through certain situations and to get back in the seat and have fun again. »

Then, during the interview for the official Formula 1 website, he is asked if he realizes the extent of his performance: « To be honest, not yet. It’s not easy to describe all the events and find the right words. It was a huge honor to cross the line and there are so many words you want to say at the same time. »

« There are only three other people who have been able to do this and it’s very difficult to achieve that, and at the same time, you are very happy that no one can take that away from you. It’s so good: I am very happy! »

Sebastian Vettel doesn’t forget to mention the long journey leading to the level reached by his association with Red Bull: « For some people, it may have seemed easier than the previous titles because we had a lead, but nonetheless, this title is just as exceptional. For us, we never had the luxury of leaning back just because we knew how to win a title. For us, every step, every race was important. Every box had to be ticked like in previous years, whether it was my daily report or the briefing with the engineers. We push to the limit from Friday to find the right settings. For me, it’s the little details that, I believe, make the difference. »

To return to the Indian race, which crowned him World Champion, his strategy, and particularly his pit stop as early as the second lap, were the key: I might have been able to do another lap, but we were very aware that the soft tires would not last much longer as they would have blistered and we would have lost grip. The result would have been that we would lose some time, and that was exactly what we wanted to avoid.

« The strategy was quite aggressive and, luckily, we managed to stay in front at the start, and then the plan was to come in after two or three laps. The risk was high, as we would rejoin the track at the back, but afterward, it was a real pleasure to try to make our way forward. I was quite surprised when I was informed that I was only 12 seconds behind Mark, because I knew a stop costs around 22 seconds, so I would be about 10 seconds ahead of what we had planned. »

To celebrate his victory and title, Sebastian Vettel treated the Buddh crowd to some forbidden celebrations: « My engineer, Rocky [Guillaume Rocquelin, editor’s note], wasn’t very happy, because he told me to follow the normal procedure and park the car in Parc Fermé. I thought to myself: “No way, there are so many people and fans in the main stand that, for this occasion, I have to do some donuts.” It was so good, and obviously, I know it’s not allowed and I hope I’ll be forgiven [he eventually received a reprimand, editor’s note]. »