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Runaway F1 2011 World Championship leader Sebastian Vettel might be off the front row of the grid for the first time all season on home turf at the Nürburgring, but that has not altered his German GP objective one little bit...
With a commanding some might say practically unassailable 80-point advantage in the title standings, runaway F1 2011 World Championship leader Sebastian Vettel does not need to win this weekend's German Grand Prix at the Nürburgring, but buoyed by the support of his adoring partisan fans, he has made it very clear that he will be trying his utmost to do so.
Such is Vettel's margin over his pursuers in the chase for the coveted crown, that the defending F1 World Champion could afford to finish second in each of the remaining races and still prevail by at least ten points but having never triumphed on home turf before, he is eager indeed to set that record straight this weekend.
After finding himself outpaced by both Red Bull team-mate Mark Webber and McLaren-Mercedes rival Lewis Hamilton during the crucial Q3 phase of qualifying at the Nürburgring, however – the first time in a staggering 16 grands prix that he has been off the front row of the starting grid the 24-year-old will likely have a fight on his hands come race day. It is one he insists he is ready for.
“It was tough session,” Vettel reflected. “I think we had a good recovery, as yesterday I didn't really find my way, but the car felt much better this morning. We could have been a bit quicker in qualifying here-and-there, but Mark did a good lap and I think we still have a good chance from third on the grid.
“It will be a long race, and you never know what can happen with the weather here. Rain is forecast, but we don't know how much we will have and when. However, in the end it doesn't really matter; the most important thing is that we have a solid race and the target is to win, which is not impossible from third – it's the clean side of the track and we go from there. I'm looking forward to tomorrow – it doesn't happen too often that you have so many people coming here and supporting the German drivers, so I will make sure I enjoy the race.”
“I think it was a good result,” concurred Cyril Dumont from RBR's engine-supplier, Renault. “Today's qualifying shows that we have a strong driver pairing, and if one makes a small mistake, then the other one is always right there, so it's very encouraging.
“It's the 30th pole position for the Red Bull Racing-Renault partnership, and I would like to congratulate everyone that has been working as part of this. I think tomorrow is going to be a long race; hopefully it will be dry, but we may have some changes in the weather, so we will see I hope not!” Source: Crash.net
Sebastian Vettel is back on home soil for the German F1 Grand Prix and ahead of first practice, he finds time to tell us in his blog about skill-swapping with a sporting compatriot
by Sebastian Vettel on Jul 22, 2011
Hi guys!
It feels amazing to finally be back at the Nürburgring, simply because it's very easy to mix my professional and personal life, since my whole family lives close to the track. And as you know, there's no better place on earth than home. I also like this track because it brings back so many great memories from my past. After all, I raced here quite often and not only in a Formula 1 car.
There is one special race I will always remember, back from the days when I was still racing in the Formula BMW. We were in the pre-programme of the Formula 1 and that made it even more special to win. Just the feeling of being that close to the highest class of racing and the energy from the crowd was just unbelievable. I will never forget that day.
Another special moment at the ring just happened today, when I was allowed to race a few laps with German golf pro Martin Kaymer in one of our cars. I can tell you, he looked a bit pale during the first rounds, but the more time we spend on the track, the more he enjoyed it. In return he gave me some golf tips while we were taking a break at the Nordschleife [the oldest part of the track, which opened in 1927].
'I will be extremely sad if this is the last race at the Nürburgring'
I had better confess – no, I didn't manage to hit the golf ball into my trunk, but I made it fly pretty far – over a fence and onto a field. Well, we left the ball there. It would have taken too much time to get it back. All in all I just had an amazing day and I hope Martin will be back next year so we can do it all again.
Another thing that makes this track so special is of course, its history. People have raced here since 1925 and just the thought of how many legends won here gives me chills. That's one of the reasons why I will be extremely sad if this is the last race at the Nürburgring.
It wouldn't just be painful for us drivers, but also for the people who work and live nearby. After all the area benefited a lot from the races and events and I am sure that they will be missed once they won't take place anymore. That's why I hope that the people in charge will think a lot before they decide to future races.
I must say, thinking about it, I have a pretty good feeling for a German vitory. After all we have six German drivers, so the statistics are already in our favour. What's more? The car is great, my team is amazing, it's raining – what more can I ask for?
Talk to you later!
Seb
Source: Red Bull
With a commanding some might say practically unassailable 80-point advantage in the title standings, runaway F1 2011 World Championship leader Sebastian Vettel does not need to win this weekend's German Grand Prix at the Nürburgring, but buoyed by the support of his adoring partisan fans, he has made it very clear that he will be trying his utmost to do so.
