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Defending world champion Sebastian Vettel triumphs at the inaugural race of the 2011 Formula 1 season with a win at the Australian Grand Prix. Here's what he had to say:
Right now, I just couldn't be happier! Everything went perfectly – from the start until the final lap. It was simply amazing.
Of course it’s a good feeling to be ahead but that doesn't give you the right to lie back and relax. You need to stay focused and concentrated at all times since there are always things that can happen. The track in Melbourne, especially, is one where things can happen pretty quick and we also had the sun to contend with towards the end, which made it kind of hard to see everything perfectly. But in the end, we gave our best and were rewarded with the first win of this season.
I'm super happy and unbelievably proud of my team. They did an amazing job today and each and every one of them deserved today's win. I'm also really excited to get such a beautiful trophy, which displays the steering wheel of legendary F1 driver Jack Brabham. It will of course be placed in a very special spot back in the factory in Milton Keynes.
I also got another very special prize – a bottle of port with the picture of last year's winner on it. It's kind of funny to look at it and see Jenson [Button, McLaren] smiling back at me but that also makes me worry about how my picture will look like next year. I just hope they don't use a picture from the last few hours, as I look a bit messy!
Thank you for all for your support and all the best from Down Under!
Source: Red Bull
Formula One World Champion Sebastian Vettel has finished testing in Spain and is now getting ready for his first race in Australia - but first he's got to get to grips with the jetlag...
by Sebastian Vettel on Mar 19, 2011
"We've finished final testing in Spain and we're in the middle of the preparations for Australia. It's always tough dealing with jetlag when you have to travel so far, so I've already started changing my sleeping habits to deal with it: That means lots of early bed times.
"It's still very hard to say who's at the top right now."
"But I have a very good feeling about Australia. We've had an amazing winter and we've put more test laps in than ever before. That helped us a lot with the new car and helped us get to know it a lot better. What didn't change is the way I can rank the other teams. It's still very hard to say who's at the top right now.
"Without having run a real race, it's even harder to say where we are. Once the car has finished its first race we'll see how it performs under race conditions - after all, that's the most important thing to know. We also shouldn't forget that we're moving towards a really long season and that there are always things that can happen in F1 you haven't thought about in advance.
"For now we are happy with what we have achieved during the winter, but we are all excited to find out where this season will take us and what will happen in Australia.
"Talk to you soon from Melbourne!"
Sebastian
Source: RedBull
Sebastian Vettel reflects on an action-packed day that saw him thrill crowds in both Berlin and Dusseldorf...
Hi!
What an unbelievable Saturday. I had pictured the day in my mind, but once again, reality beat imagination. We rocked Berlin and Berlin rocked us, it was just incredible. Just the fact that so many fans came despite the freezing cold weather was proof of their support and how much they liked what we did through the season.
Personally, it was a dream come true yesterday. How often do you get the chance to drive towards the Brandenburg Gate in a Formula 1 car and leave your very own signature in rubber grit? There were moments where I wanted to ask someone if they could pinch me because everything felt so unreal. I think I will only believe it once I see all the pictures. It was just amazing.
I was also glad that Smudo (Fantastische Vier) and Chris Pfeiffer were supporting me once again after the show run in Heppenheim. They entertained the crowd and had so much fun themselves. What I probably enjoyed the most was running down the crowd, writing autographs and thanking the fans. Each and every one of them is responsible for me being where I am now.
So, Berlin itself was so great that I hardly wanted to leave. But in the evening there was the next big event, the Race of Champions Nation Cup, in which I teamed up with Michael Schumacher to defend our title.
After all it was a good decision to come back to Dusseldorf. Not only because Michael was able to beat the British in the last round, but because we were able to celebrate our fourth title in a row in front of our home crowd. The fans in the ESPRIT arena were just incredible and created a unique atmosphere. I really enjoyed it – it was a truly perfect Saturday.
Today we'll go in the individual rounds!
Cross your fingers for me!
Sebastian
Source: Red Bull
Formula One World Champion Sebastian Vettel shares his first impressions of the sport’s new tyres and reveals his plans for the immediate future
Hi!
It really feels great to be back in Abu Dhabi. I know for sure that this place from now on will always have a very special place in my heart. Today we had the first opportunity to test the new tyres for the next season and I have to admit that it went better than I thought it would. They worked pretty well and made a good first impression.
Of course we are used to last season's tyres but I think that we really need to get involved with them. But I already got the feeling that the front tyre is a bit stronger than the back tyre. Before we can finally say which tyre was the best we really need to adapt our car to them and see how it works once it's done.
Despite the busy day, it was really nice to be back in the car and I look forward to tomorrow's test. It's the final time that we can collect data for the winter.
Just like last year, I will also compete in this year's "Race of Champions" and try to defend the nation cup and get better in the individual results. After all that we did in the last weeks, it will be a nice alternation and fun for sure.
But despite that, I really look forward to my time after Abu Dhabi, because I am finally able to fly home to Heppenheim. I can't tell you how much I look forward to see all these people who already gave me an unforgettable day as we drove through town with our show car. I hope that this Sunday will be as great as that day. Let's wait and see.
Talk to you soon!
Sebastian
Source: Red Bull
The new Formula One champion – Sebastian Vettel – gathers his thoughts long enough to complete his final blog of the year
‘I don't have words to describe everything that I’m feeling right now. I’m so happy I could hug everyone that crosses my path. At the moment it's kinda hard to belive that all these things really happened today, but all in all, I'm just unbelievably proud.
Now I can reflect on the season, I can finally say that we took the right way and never let the negative events get us down. Whatever happened, we did our thing – and we had luck just when we needed it.
It wasn’t an easy race but I am pleased I was able to focus on running my own race. It just helps you to avoid distractions and making stupid mistakes.
As I passed the finish line I knew that I was leading, but I didn’t know if I’d done enough to win the title. One of my engineers said that it looked good, but we weren't sure. A few seconds later everyone started to scream and we knew we had it in the bag.
I want to use my final blog of the season to say thank you to all those who made this amazing day possible. The whole team, here in Abu Dhabi and at home in Milton Keynes in the UK... also the cleaning and cafeteria staff... you guys are unbelievable and amazing.
I couldn't have done this without you. I also want to thank my family, my friends and all the fans and people who rooted for me. I don't take any of you for granted. I can't thank you enough.
Things have to cool down a bit but I don’t think it will start to sink in until tomorrow. Right now, I'm off to party with the team, before heading to Salzburg, Austria, in the morning.
Have a good night and thank you!’
Sebastian Source: Red Bull
Sebastian Vettel put his RB6 on pole position for the 10th time this season and will line up on Sunday with championship leader Fernando Alonso lining up directly behind him. But the young German hardly has time to catch his breath before he's engulfed by a pack of news hounds hungry for his every comment...
"It was really close today. At the start of qualifying we were weighing up whether to do one or two runs. We decided to go out once but for a long stint. In the end, the decision paid off and I'm very happy with the result.
We are the subject of intense scrutiny this weekend. We're not looking anywhere else either; we're just concentrating on our own performance. We really to get a good start tomorrow, give it our best shot and battle all the way to the chequered flag. I think the first lap is going to be more crucial than ever and I'll need to keep my concentration up for every second.
After all I still have an outside chance of becoming world champion – although I'm going to need luck to be on my side too. But as I've said many times before, I'm trying not to think about, because it'll only be a distraction. The most important thing is to make a good start and have a quick and reliable car. Everything else will work itself out over the course of the race.
I've got no time to stop and think anyway because we've got a packed schedule of interviews for the rest of the day and into the evening. After the media I'll be going to a team meeting to discuss what we did today and how we can improve our performance tomorrow. After that, I really need to get something to eat and go straight to bed so I'm fit for the big day."
Sebastian
Source: Red Bull
After the elation of last weekend, Sebastian Vettel has travelled to Abu Dhabi fully focused on the battle for the Formula One drivers’ title
Hi!
The last weekend was one of the best of the year. It was great to celebrate our constructors' title which the team truly deserved.
But we didn’t have too much time to celebrate and we moved on to Abu Dhabi pretty quickly to fully focus on this final weekend. I know I’ve said it very often, but it still holds true: as long as I got a shot at the title, I will keep on fighting for it.
Of course you need to see the big picture and be aware of where your competitors finish. But all in all, you just need to do your thing. If you let yourself get carried away thinking about all the things going on around you, then you could go crazy.
Starting to work out all the different possibilities that could happen this weekend won’t do anyone much good especially since we haven't even been through the first practice or qualifying.
I think we'll find out soon enough what's going to happen. For now, I am just really thankful that my whole family came out to Abu Dhabi to support me. It means a lot to me.
Talk to you tomorrow,
Seb
Source: Red Bull
Ahead of this weekend’s race in Brazil, Sebastian blogs about focusing on the here and now, not the ‘what ifs’ everyone else prefers to be talking about…
"Boy, it's good to be back in Brazil! What happened in the last race hasn’t dampened our enthusiasm. We’re more excited about the last few races than ever.
“Interlagos has a good mix of fast and slow turns, which should give us an advantage. People are also speculating about what the weather is going to do here: the forecast is for heavy rain on Sunday, but I guess we have to wait to see how it all turns out.
“Looking at the championship, I know it has looked better for me, but I won’t give up hope. Hope always dies last, as they say, and that’s certainly the case here.
“The race in South Korea was a step backwards, but we’re determined not to let it put us off. We will continue to focus on giving our very best in the final two races – like we always do.
“Something else that’s not about to change is our race strategy: sure, Mark and I both race for ourselves, but we always have the team and the constructors’ title in the back of our minds.
“If you look at the points that are still available, you’ll see that we both still have a chance to become world champion and we won’t stop competing until our races are run.
“As you might know, I'm not a big fan of speculating about ‘what if’ scenarios. I prefer to focus on the present and what is at hand right now.
“Anything else will lead you off-track, and that's something that no one can afford at this point of the season.”
Sebastian Source: Red Bull
A trying day for Sebastian Vettel after the Red Bull Racing driver’s practice session was disrupted by a puncture. But he’s determined not to feel too flat about it
'The lesson for today is that sometimes, things don't go as planned - I didn't plan on getting a flat tyre right at the beginning of the practice session, but what can I say? Shit happens!
Because of the flat we had to go out on the soft tyres earlier than planned and at a period when the track had no grip at all. I’m not concerned about the times we set today but obviously I would have preferred not to have run on soft tyres for so long.
Oh, and despite what I said yesterday, I don’t think the flat was down to a discarded nail, I think it’s more likely to have been a piece of debris from one of the cars. Either way, my tyre was cut open and there wasn't anything that I could do about it.
The whole track is tight and a real challenge - but as a driver learning new tracks is a great experience.
Even on softs, the track got better towards the end of the practice session. Our biggest challenge is that we're still not the fastest on the straights and need to get back as much time as possible in the turns. But Mark had a trouble-free day and proved that we do have pace here.
Talk to you tomorrow.'
Sebastian Source: RedBull
Sebastian Vettel arrives in Yeongam-Gun for the first ever Korean Formula One Grand Prix with plenty on his mind. But as the young German explains in his blog, he's doing his best to keep his mind off the championship chase by focussing on performing at his best this weekend
'We finally arrived in South Korea and I can already feel that this race is going to be special. Coming here with a victory in the last race gives me a real lift, especially after the crazy weekend that we had in Suzuka. Having qualification and the race on one day was a really big challenge.
I decided to remain in Asia after the last race. Travelling back and forth all the time can weaken you and adjusting to the different time zones can be tough. So I stayed put and focused on my training – I really hope that it was worth it.
As for the championship, I am trying not to think about it too much. It doesn’t do you any good to think about all the different scenarios and things that can happen. The most important thing is to stay on top at the end of the season. Until then – anything is possible.
I’d like to say a bit about South Korea itself, which is that I just wish I could see more of this country. Since I’ve got here, I’ve only really seen the inside of my hotel room and the race track. But our hotel is a real find, though as it's just two kilometres from the korean International Circuit.
The track itself looks great. At the beginning, we didn’t know what to expect, but from what I’ve seen so far I can say that everything looks fine. Some turns look really interesting and I think it will be a lot fun to drive here.
One slight worry was that while I was walking around on the circuit, I found a nail lying on the middle of the track. Hopefully it was the only one.'
Sebastian Source: RedBull
Red Bull Racing’s Sebastian Vettel gives his view from Suzuka on the first practice session for the Japanese Grand Prix where he premiered his brand new helmet...
Hi,
It's always hard to tell whether you’ve met your expectations or not after the first practice session. Just let me say that the first day was pretty good for us. The conditions were constant and our car was perfect. All in all we can be satisfied with this day, also because some of the other drivers had a few difficulties.
We really need to focus on the straights, also because we aren't the fastest on this part of the track. But luckily, Suzuka has lot of turns, where we're able to get the time back that we might have lost on the straight.
McLaren had a tough day, but we still need to keep an eye on them. The most important thing today is that we're satisfied with ourselves – we can only focus on our team and not on what the others are doing.
The weather is of course very important. We are pretty sure that there will be rain tomorrow, but that doesn't make me worry. We're as good in rain as when it's dry and will give our best, as always.
The first practice session also gave me the chance to wear my new helmet, which has been specially designed to include the Japanese flag. It will feel strange not racing in silver and blue but the new design is really cool and even has ‘Red Bull – gives you wings’ written in Japanese!
Talk to you tomorrow.
Sebastian
Source: Red Bull
Murphy’s Law was vigorously in force for Sebastian Vettel as anything that could go wrong went wrong for the young Red Bull Racing driver at Sunday’s Belgian Grand Prix. But he's still looking on the bright side. We catch up with his blog...
'What a race. It's just a real pity that mine went the way it did, especially after I made such a good start.
When the rain started to fall for the second time I was optimistic I could make up a few places but I had some problems with my tyre, and it was all over.
The situation with Jenson was really stupid and my fault. I tried to overtake him and lost the car on a bump.
There was just no way I could hold the car and I collided with him. I ended his race and I had to go to the pit. But it was totally unintentional. Obviously I'm not proud of it and I'm sorry for him.
Looking at the championship, I know that it's going to get a bit harder than we thought. We could have scored some more points, but we now need to focus on what's ahead of us. Our car is still very fast and we have a few more races to go to the end of the season.
Being 31 points short might sound a lot, but I won't give up. Last year, there was a huge gap in the title race and I almost made it.
So there's no reason to hide in shame. We had a good example in the German Bundesliga this week: FSV Mainz played Wolfsburg on Saturday and came back from 3-nil down to win 4-3. That's the kind of attitude that I need now. To never give up, no matter how bad the situation might look.
Speak you in Monza!'
Sebastian Source: RedBull
Right now, I just couldn't be happier! Everything went perfectly – from the start until the final lap. It was simply amazing. 
