Dominant Vettel Cruises To Indian Win

Sebastian Vettel took another step towards a third World title with an emphatic victory in India while Fernando Alonso did all he could to stay in the hunt, finishing second

Starting from pole position - and with a six-point advantage in the Drivers' Championship - Vettel was the favourite for the victory at the Buddh International circuit despite Red Bull's rivals insisting they had the race pace to challenge. They didn't.

Vettel stormed into the lead, building up a gap over his team-mate Mark Webber who proved to be the perfect buffer as Alonso, Vettel's main rival for the title, used great skill to pass Lewis Hamilton and then the DRS to overtake Jenson Button to climb to third.

Alonso, the first of the leading trio to come in for his one stop of the afternoon, tried his best to fight the Bulls and eventually swept by Webber for second on lap 48 of 60. However, with the gap to Vettel more than ten second, second was the best the Spaniard could hope for.

After 60 laps, Vettel cruised to the Indian GP victory, his fourth in a row and the first time in his F1 history that he managed that feat. He also extend his lead in the Championship by a further seven points to 13 with three races remaining.

Alonso was second while Webber withstood a suspected KERS issue and a late charge from Lewis Hamilton to complete the podium. Hamilton was fourth ahead of Button, Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen.

Results
01. Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1h31:10.744
02. Alonso Ferrari + 9.437
03. Webber Red Bull-Renault + 13.217
04. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes + 13.909
05. Button McLaren-Mercedes + 26.266
06. Massa Ferrari + 44.600
07. Raikkonen Lotus-Renault + 45.200
08. Hulkenberg Force India-Mercedes + 54.900
09. Grosjean Lotus-Renault + 56.100
10. Senna Williams-Renault + 1:14.900
11. Rosberg Mercedes + 1:21.600
12. Di Resta Force India-Mercedes + 1:22.800
13. Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari + 1:26.000
14. Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari + 1:26.400
15. Vergne Toro Rosso-Ferrari + 1 lap
16. Maldonado Williams-Renault + 1 lap
17. Petrov Caterham-Renault + 1 lap
18. Kovalainen Caterham-Renault + 1 lap
19. Pic Marussia-Cosworth + 1 lap
20. Glock Marussia-Cosworth + 2 laps
21. Karthikeyan HRT-Cosworth + 2 laps
22. Schumacher Mercedes + 5 laps

Did Not Finish
De la Rosa HRT-Cosworth 41
Perez Sauber-Ferrari 21

Source: Planet-F1

Hamilton: I never had a doubt in my mind

Lewis Hamilton has hailed McLaren's efforts in Canada where he says the only minor pit stops errors were his own slow getaways

Hamilton became the seventh different driver to win a grand prix this season when he took the chequered flag at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on Sunday.

The McLaren driver finished ahead of Romain Grosjean and Sergio Perez having overhauled Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso to get into the lead.

And, as to be expected, it was all smiles from Hamilton in the post-race press conference where he praised McLaren's improved pit stops, revealing that the only time lost had been his own doing.

"I knew today would be a tough, tough race. I loved every single minute of it and I'm really very, very grateful," Hamilton said.

"I never had a doubt in my mind that there would not be a possibility to win.

"I was thinking they (Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso) were falling behind and I assumed they doing a one-stop so I decided to keep pushing.

"I had a couple of problems pulling away (from the pits) - it may have been my fault, I don't know.

"But otherwise the pit stops were great. Finally we got some good pit stops and of course we can keep on improving in every area."

Hamilton won the grand prix by 2.5s over Grosjean with Perez a further three off the pace. However, unlike the two behind him, Hamilton did not opt for a one-stop strategy, instead coming into the pits on two occasions.

His second stop, though, meant he was on fresher rubber when it came time to catch and overhaul Vettel and Alonso.

"I was not able to do one stop, I think I would have fallen back, so I think a two-stop was just right.

"Of course we were aware of that. We went into the race knowing we would be doing two stops and when the guys were behind me I had a feeling that Fernando would be doing one stop.

"I knew I had to make a gap while looking after the tyres, even though Fernando was picking his pace up. It was one of the best stints I had."

The 27-year-old's victory has put him at the top of the Drivers' Championship on 88 points, two ahead of Alonso with Vettel a further one point behind.

"It's still sinking in. It's been five years since I first won here but it feels just as good.

"I'm massively proud of the team for continuing to push.

"It feels great to finally be here on the top step. It feel like one of best races I've had for a very long time."

Source: Planet-F1

Maldonado: It's an unbelievable day

Sir Frank Williams may be just "quietly delighted" with his team's victory in Barcelona, but race winner Pastor Maldonado has hailed it as a "wonderful" and "unbelievable day"

After their horror show in 2011 when they picked up just five points and finished ninth in the Constructors' Championship, it has been a complete turnaround in the team's fortunes so far this year.

Maldonado completed the fairytale comeback at the Spanish GP as he started on pole position following Lewis Hamilton's exclusion from qualifying and then held off Fernando Alonso during the latter stages of the race to secure his maiden victory.

"I think it's a wonderful day, unbelievable for me and all the team," the Venezuelan said. "We have been pushing so hard since last year to improve race by race and here we are.

"It was a tough race because of the strategy as well, it was hard especially because of rear tyres, after a couple of laps we were struggling with them, but I need to say I am pretty happy because car was so competitive since the first lap."

Maldonado made his final pit stop four laps before Alonso, but he managed to look after his tyres much better than the Spaniard and eventually finished 3.1s ahead of the Ferrari driver.

"It was so close. We were looking to manage the tyre degradation so I couldn't push that hard, just to keep the tyres alive for the end of the race and Fernando got very close," the 2010 GP2 winner said.

"There were some moments where he was so close especially at end of the straight, but I was managing the gap and controlling everything.

"Our pace today was very strong, the car was fantastic, so was the team. We did a small mistake at the last pitstop but it did not affect our performance."

Source: Planet-F1

Rosberg wins in China for first F1 victory

Germany's Nico Rosberg celebrated the first victory of his Formula One career with a commanding pole-to-flag win for Mercedes in China on Sunday

While the son of 1982 champion Keke sprayed the champagne to mark the end of an 111-race wait, the German manufacturer rolled back the decades to savour their first grand prix success as a works team since 1955.

"Brilliant race, Nico. Just brilliant," yelled team principal Ross Brawn over the radio as the 26-year-old let out a long and loud whoop of delight after taking the chequered flag.

Britain's Jenson Button finished a distant second for Mercedes-powered McLaren, 20.6 seconds behind, with team mate and compatriot Lewis Hamilton third for the third race in a row to take the championship lead.

Hamilton now has 45 points after three races to Button's 43. Ferrari's Fernando Alonso, who had led before Shanghai, finished ninth and dropped to third overall with 37.

Rosberg's victory was the first by Mercedes, as a works team, since 1955, when Argentine Juan Manuel Fangio won that year's season-ending Italian Grand Prix from pole.

Mercedes pulled out of Formula One as a works team in 1955 and did not return, other than as an engine partner, until 2010 after buying the title-winning Brawn team.

While Rosberg celebrated, drenching Mercedes motorsport vice-president Norbert Haug in champagne on the podium with the eager assistance of Button and Hamilton, there was disappointment for team mate Michael Schumacher.

The seven times world champion, winner of a record 91 races, had started alongside Rosberg on the front row but the 43-year-old's hopes of a first podium appearance since he was at Ferrari in 2006, disappeared on lap 13 after a pitstop.

To the despair of the mechanic on the front right wheel, Schumacher was given the signal to go before the nut was attached properly. He rejoined the race before having to pull off and retire.

"The front wheel got a bit loose, but I don't know what happened. I feel a bit sorry for one of my boys, but that's part of the game," said Schumacher philosophically.

Button's hopes of a second win in three races were also dashed in the pits when the crew struggled with the rear left, losing vital seconds, at his third and final stop.

Australian Mark Webber was fourth for Red Bull with double world champion team mate Sebastian Vettel fifth after starting 11th, his lowest grid placing since 2009.

Frenchman Romain Grosjean took his first points for Lotus with sixth place, ahead of the Williams cars of Brazilian Bruno Senna and Venezuelan Pastor Maldonado.

Sauber's Japanese Kamui Kobayashi took the final point for Sauber in 10th.

FH
1. Rosberg Mercedes 1h36:26.929
2. Button McLaren-Mercedes + 20.6
3. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes + 26.0
4. Webber Red Bull-Renault + 27.9
5. Vettel Red Bull-Renault + 30.4
6. Grosjean Lotus-Renault + 31.4
7. Senna Williams-Renault + 34.5
8. Maldonado Williams-Renault + 35.6
9. Alonso Ferrari + 37.2
10. Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari + 38.7
11. Perez Sauber-Ferrari + 41.0
12. Di Resta Force India-Mercedes + 42.2
13. Massa Ferrari + 42.7
14. Räikkönen Lotus-Renault + 50.5
15. Hulkenberg Force India-Mercedes + 51.2
16. Vergne Toro Rosso-Ferrari + 51.7
17. Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari + 1:03.1
18. Petrov Caterham-Renault + 1 lap
19. Glock Marussia-Cosworth + 1 lap
20. Pic Marussia-Cosworth + 1 lap
21. De la Rosa HRT-Cosworth + 1 lap
22. Karthikeyan HRT-Cosworth + 2 laps
23. Kovalainen Caterham-Renault + 3 laps

Source: Reuters Sports

Riku Kuvaja: Kimi isn't dreaming of a victory immediately

Kimi's assistant Riku Kuvaja told IS that Kimi will hide for a while before showing up before Finnish F1-fans and the Finnish media.

- We will keep press conferences both for Europe's and Finland's media in the near future, Kuvaja tells.

He conveyed Räikkönen's greetings where the driver is all fire over his comeback to F1.

- Great that the deal was born. Now Kimi only waits to get to business meaning developing the car and driving the car.

- Renault is a potential team. We are not speaking of victories yet, we speak of pushing into the grid's top.

Source: Ilta-Sanomat
Courtesy: Nicole

Hamilton: Victory is good for the soul

Lewis Hamilton admits arriving in Abu Dhabi with a "less weighing" on him played a huge role in his fantastic grand prix weekend

The McLaren driver had had a difficult 2010 season, earning almost as many penalties and reprimands as he has top-three finishes.

It was apparent that his issues, both on and off the track, were weighing heavily on his shoulders as even his pole position last month in Korea could not encourage a smile.

However, two races later, Hamilton was finally smiling in Abu Dhabi thanks to a near perfect weekend.

Having topped two of the three practice sessions, he only missed out on pole position by 0.141s but was back at the very front on Sunday evening when he claimed the victory at the Yas Marina circuit.

"I'm usually my own biggest critic, but I felt like I maximised everything," said Hamilton.

"I definitely think that this weekend I've been clearer in my mind and I've had less weighing on me, less thoughts and issues or whatever problems that I've got.

"I was just able to drive clearly.

"I think my qualifying has always been generally good and my practice has always been pretty good but obviously in the last race I had that mistake which was... I was just not thinking straight and this weekend I was able to think straight.

"This is so uplifting, to be able to walk away with a smile feels fantastic. Victory is good for the soul."

And although one could argue that Hamilton's victory was courtesy of Sebastian Vettel's first retirement of the season, the fact that he didn't put a wheel wrong can't be taken away from the Brit, who reckons a bit of bad luck helps one appreciate the good.

"I don't remember the last time he (Vettel) had a bit of bad luck," said Hamilton. "Every now and then, we need a bit of bad luck to notice the good times."

As for whether his Abu Dhabi victory is the beginning of a resurgence, Hamilton said: "It is early days yet but this is definitely the start of something hopefully very good."

Source: Planet-F1

Video: BBC - 'Positive energy' inspires Lewis Hamilton in Abu Dhabi

Lewis Hamilton says winning the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was the perfect end to the weekend and says things "just seemed to go right" at the Yas Marina Circuit.

It was the 26-year-old's first victory in eight races and he admits that he had been suffering from a "negative vibe" that has affected his performances.

Hamilton is joined in the McLaren garage by his mum who is in Abu Dhabi celebrating her birthday, and the McLaren driver admits he needs to surround himself with more friends and family at races



Source: Formula1Arab

Vettel hails Red Bull's mental toughness

Sebastian Vettel has hailed his Red Bull team after they pushed through their hangovers to help him to victory in Sunday's Korean GP

Having won the title last Sunday in Japan, it was celebration time for the double World Champion and his team. That, though, Vettel admits was probably not the best way to go into the second of the back-to-back grands prix.

The team endured a tough start to the weekend and even saw their run of pole positions, which had been 15 from 15 heading into Korea, come to an end.

But Red Bull and Vettel put that behind them with the 24-year-old taking the lead at the Yeongam circuit on the fourth corner of the opening lap.

From there it was all Vettel, who crossed the line to win with a 12 second advantage over Lewis Hamilton. Mark Webber's third place ensured the team also claimed the Constructors' title.

"I think it is good to see that the whole team keeps on pushing," said Vettel. "In terms of preparation it was not ideal because most of us were tipsy after Sunday night but we deserved that.

"But to come here and have a tough Friday and a tough Saturday morning, and to come back in qualifying and in the race was fantastic.

"It was so fun to drive. The car was getting quicker and quicker.

"It is fantastic, after last weekend the Drivers' Championship, this weekend the Constructors' Championship for the team. It is fantastic.

"I want to say a lot of thanks to Renault. They have been pushing so hard. The package is fantastic, so thank you very much. I am very, very happy today."

Speaking about his race, the German revealed he was surprised that the field only had to stop twice to change tyres as prior to the race he had predicted as many as four stops with the Pirellis.

"In the end we ended up stopping way less than we thought. We expected a bit more degradation, and eventually it came, but we delayed the first stop, and in the end you realise you don't have to stop three times.

"It was a very good race from that side. The tyres and tyre management were not easy, especially towards the end of the stint. I was able to gain on Lewis. I always wanted to stay clear of DRS with the headwind of Turn 2 to Turn 3.

"I was pushing hard. The tyres did not help in the second stint but they came back. It was crucial to control race from there."

Source: Planet-F1

Video: BBC - Hungarian GP - Jenson Button delighted strategy paid off in Hungary

Jenson Button talks to Jake Humphrey, Martin Brundle and Eddie Jordan after a his victory in the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Button was competing in his 200th race in Formula 1 and won after starting third on the grid and coming out on top after a battle with McLaren team-mate Lewis Hamilton



Source: SixtyBuckss

Video: BBC - Hungarian GP - Lewis Hamilton eyes victory

Lewis Hamilton is confident he can follow up his victory at the German Grand Prix by challenging for another triumph in Hungary on Sunday



Source: SixtyBuckss

Vettel wants 'home race' victory

Sebastian Vettel says he would love nothing more than to take to the top step of the podium at the Nurburgring, the German's home race

Vettel has had an incredible season to date as he sets about defending his Drivers' Championship title.

The Red Bull driver has dropped just 21 points out of a total of 225 as he has claimed the victory in six grands prix and finished the other three in the runner-up position.

Added to that, he has started all nine grands prix from the front row of the grid, seven of which were from pole position.

However, the one thing that would make his season so much sweeter is victory in his home race, the German GP.

"One of the objectives a Formula One driver sets himself, is to win his 'home race'," he said.

"Of course, you always give 100 percent, but at a home race you're always more motivated, simply because you feel at home."

Vettel is relishing F1's return to the Nurburgring, having last raced at the track in 2009.

"This year we're back at the Nürburgring, which is one of the better and more modern tracks; I particularly like the stretch from the Ford corner to the 180° long right corner in the valley.

"The Warsteiner corner is tricky, as is the sharp left before that. The best place to overtake is before the NGK chicane - which is a challenging left-right bend.

"It's possible to overtake on the brakes there, because you come out of the previous corner and have to brake down to 100kph.

"Hitting the brakes later means you can take the bend first, it sounds easy but it's not because you have to keep away from the kerbs or the car lifts off and you get overtaken again.

"The Eifel hills are special because the weather can change there as quick as lightning."

Source: Planet-F1

Vettel Wins Lacklustre European GP 2011

Sebastian Vettel strolled to his sixth win of the campaign in the European GP where the fight was a lot closer than it was exciting

No matter how many DRS zones you put in, how much power the KERS gives a driver, or what you ban on the cars, it truly seems as if nothing will ever make the Valencia street circuit an exciting venue for Formula One racing.

With the top three, both Red Bulls and Alonso, all runningsimilar strategies and putting on soft tyres in their first two stops, the race appeared as if it would be decided by who could get the most out of their medium compound Pirellis in the final stint.

Webber pitted for his on lap 43, Alonso on lap 45 and Vettel on lap 47. The German, having witnessed his team-mate's times fall on the medium tyres, was the last of leading trio in and therefore only had ten laps on the harder - and slower - compound.

This move just allowed him to cement his victory, although it never appeared as if Alonso, who was second, or Webber, who completed the podium, were a threat to his sixth win of the season.

Lewis Hamilton was fourth over the line as he kept his nose clean in Valencia, finishing ahead of Felipe Massa and Jenson Button.

All 24 drivers completed the grand prix, only the third time in F1 history that there was not a single retirement in the race.

Results
01. Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1h39:36.169
02. Alonso Ferrari + 10.891
03. Webber Red Bull-Renault + 27.255
04. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes + 46.190
05. Massa Ferrari + 51.705
06. Button McLaren-Mercedes + 1:00.000
07. Rosberg Mercedes + 1:38.000
08. Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari + 1 lap
09. Sutil Force India-Mercedes + 1 lap
10. Heidfeld Renault + 1 lap
11. Perez Sauber-Ferrari + 1 lap
12. Barrichello Williams-Cosworth + 1 lap
13. Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari + 1 lap
14. Di Resta Force India-Mercedes + 1 lap
15. Petrov Renault + 1 lap
16. Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari + 1 lap
17. Schumacher Mercedes + 1 lap
18. Maldonado Williams-Cosworth + 1 lap
19. Kovalainen Lotus-Renault + 2 laps
20. Trulli Lotus-Renault + 2 laps
21. Glock Virgin-Cosworth + 2 laps
22. D'Ambrosio Virgin-Cosworth + 2 laps
23. Liuzzi HRT-Cosworth + 3 laps
24. Karthikeyan HRT-Cosworth + 3 laps

Source: Planet-F1

Vettel: Bulls won't suffer more than others

Sebastian Vettel is expecting a tight fight for Sunday's European GP victory after Friday's practice saw the top seven separated by just over half a second

Vettel finished Friday's second session in third place with a 1:38.265, just 0.297s down on pace-setter Fernando Alonso.

However, it was a marked improvement on his pace from Practice One when the German, reportedly running without the off-throttle exhaust in preparation for its upcoming ban, was over 2.5s behind team-mate Mark Webber.

That, though, is not the only ban facing the teams as from this weekend's European GP onwards they are no longer permitted to change their engine mapping after qualifying and before the grand prix.

This new ban is expected to hit Red Bull hard as the team are believed to run extreme engine mapping in qualifying before lowering it to safer levels ahead of the grand prix.

"To be honest I can understand that this is news to everyone, and everyone wants to get some information," Vettel told journalists in Valencia on Friday afternoon.

"I can only say that it will affect everyone, when the rules change, but I don't see us suffering more than other people, to be honest.

"Maybe we will be surprised, maybe not. What I can judge now I think we have nothing to be afraid of."

As for his run on Friday morning, reportedly without the off-throttle exhaust, Vettel refused to confirm the reports but did concede to the fact that his programme was "different" to what his rivals were doing.

"Sometimes you try different things. If you're not in the top five or the top 10, clearly you're running a different programme from the others, so that was this morning.

"In the afternoon we were more or less on the same pages as the rest. As you've seen, it's very tight. I had a good feeling, to be honest, it was much better than in the morning.

"It is a Friday, and it's always difficult to see what other people do. The important thing is we are there or thereabouts. It is tight here.

"Last year obviously we had a very good race, but there were a couple of people, Lewis and Fernando in particular, who were very close to us. The race unfolded a bit differently so we had a nice time at the front.

"It changes circuit by circuit. You can't really say that's team A, team B, team C. Sometimes the gaps are bigger, sometimes they are much closer.

"I give you the perfect example - we go to Australia, we are quite a bit quicker than the rest, we come to Malaysia, and we really had to push hard to qualify on pole. That's two weeks, nothing was changed on the cars, it was just a different track.

"That's how it goes. That's why here as we expected it will be very tight."

Source: Planet-F1

Monaco GP: Webber still eyeing victory

Mark Webber will once again start behind his team-mate Sebastian Vettel, the fifth time in six races

Mark Webber said he was still aiming for victory in the Monaco Grand Prix despite only qualifying on the second row.

Having taken a lights-to-flag victory around the streets last year, Webber knows the importance of qualifying on pole position at a track that is notoriously difficult to overtake at. Despite being outqualified by his team-mate Sebastian Vettel and McLaren's Jenson Button, Webber still said it was possible to win, especially with the 2011 regulations leading to more exciting races.

"The races are more mixed up this year compared to the last few years, and tomorrow is no exception," Webber said. "It's possible to win from P3 but, that said, qualifying is crucial here and pole is certainly a nice benefit to have. Seb did a great lap and deserved pole and JB [Button] did too."

Webber also said that Sergio Perez's crash had resulted in a "messy" qualifying session, but that the most important thing was that lessons were learned from the incident.

"It was a messy session for all of us - you never anticipate not getting a second go, but that's the way it fell today and bigger priorities took over when one of our colleagues, Sergio, had a crash.

"All our thoughts are with him; he's in great hands and he's talking and is conscious, which is good news; he'll bounce back I'm sure. We can learn from this in terms of safety here and it's probably an area that we need to look at improving for the future. Jenson was lucky and Karl Wendlinger back in the nineties - so there are a few places around here we need to keep an eye on."

Source: ESPNF1

Seb happy to have competition at last

Sebastian Vettel admits his victory in Barcelona was made sweeter by the fact that he was pushed until the very end by Lewis Hamilton

After winning three of the first four races, many thought the Spanish Grand Prix would be another walk in the park for the reigning World Champion after he started next to Red Bull team-mate Mark Webber on the front row of the grid.

However, the German was made to work hard for his win right from the start after Ferrari's Fernando Alonso beat the two Red Bulls and McLaren's Hamilton off the line.

Vettel, though, was able to sneak past Alonso after the second round of pit stops, but that was only half the battle won as Hamilton put in an incredible late charge to keep the Championship pacesetter honest.

"I'm very, very happy, a great result and after yesterday I think it's another confirmation that we're very strong," he said.

"Many people said today this will not be a race and that it will only be between Mark and myself, but we've seen at Turn 1 the Ferrari was there and then the McLarens gave us a very hard time.

"That's why I think I'm even happier today that we made it because these guys were pushing very hard."

It wasn't all plain sailing for Vettel as he first struggled to pass Alonso in the DRS zone early in the race and then he had problems with KERS late on as Hamilton closed in on him.

"It was pretty tough," he said. "At the beginning of the race I had a good start but I don't understand where Fernando Alonso came from. He was leading after the first lap and we could not get close enough in the DRS zone to pass him but we got him at the pit stop.

"McLaren were very strong, Lewis in particular. The last few laps I felt like China, with my tyres falling away. He was always getting in the DRS zone but in the last few laps I got a good run in the last sector to make it stick.

"I sometimes had KERS on, sometimes off. It was not an easy race. McLaren gave us a hard time. It was quite a big release when you cross the finish line."

Vettel leads the Championship on 118 points, 41 ahead of Hamilton.

Source: Planet-F1

Video: Lewis Hamilton says start was key to victory in China

McLaren's Lewis Hamilton hails his race strategy after claiming his first victory of the 2011 season in a thrilling Chinese Grand Prix



Source: FiftyBuckss

Video: Sebastian Vettel focused on Shanghai victory

World Champion Sebastian Vettel says he is not looking back at his victories in the first two races of the 2011 season and remains focused on preparations for this weekends Chinese Grand Prix



Source: FiftyBuckss

Video: Interview with Sebastian Vettel after a dominant victory in the Australian Grand Prix 2011

Source: FiftyBuckss

The Vettel Diaries: 'All in a day's work'

Sebastian Vettel enjoyed a day of firsts as he secured pole position, victory and won the Japanese Grand Prix for a second time. He tells us all about it in his latest blog...

'Having qualifying and the race on the same day is a special day, but finishing up first in both is truly amazing.

Today marked another first for me, as it is the first time that I have won a race two years in a row. So this Sunday really was beyond perfect.

Today was just great fun for me. Especially from that point on that the car was lighter and I felt like flying over the track. I felt pure joy.

The start was of course decisive and the long safety car phase put me in control. Everything was really solid and I tried to keep a constant gap to the drivers behind me and to be easy on my tyres.

After a great race I was could celebrate a second time as I crossed the finish line. That was a great moment.

Focusing on the championship, I think that everything can happen, but I won't waste my time thinking about all thee "what ifs", I will continue to focus on the next races and give my best.

Before I go: I want to thank my team for this victorious weekend. I hope we can go on like this. Thank you for all your hard work!'

Sebastian

Source: RedBull

Sebastian Vettel Q&A: I will always go for it

After crashing out of the last round in spectacular fashion (taking a title rival with him), you might expect a more circumspect approach from Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel in this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix - a race on which his championship hopes could hinge. True to form, however, Vettel is playing it cool, insisting nothing will change in his quest for victory…

Q: Do you feel more pressure after the Belgian Grand Prix to push harder for the championship?
Sebastian Vettel: What has happened in Spa is already past. I have to fully concentrate now on this race, and we still have six races ahead of us. Of course Mark (Webber) and Lewis (Hamilton) are quite a bit in front, but it's also up to them to keep their gap in points alive, and it is up to the rest, like Fernando (Alonso), Jenson (Button) and myself to shrink this very gap and come back. Of course we do need points at every race now, but this championship so far had different leaders at different stages. In the end it is the same for anyone too.

Q: Fernando Alonso sees the next two races as crucial to his championship chances, saying that if he fails in closing the gap, his race for the title is over. How do you it for yourself?
SV: It definitely depends what the others are doing. For us, we have to focus on ourselves more than anything else. Sure we need to score points if we want to keep the championship alive. Also for Lewis, if he doesn't score points here and at the next race his chance of not winning this championship is fairly high. Still there is no reason to panic, as we have to go step by step. Thirty points sound much more than it actually is, as we have seen bigger gaps already during the season - for example Fernando and his gap before Hockenheim, where everyone had already written him off and he came back very quickly.

Q: What is your general feeling on this season so far, and what has happened on track?
SV: I would say that I can be happy with my performance, even though obviously as a team we could have scored more points on several occasions. There have been times where the car was not reliable enough, and definitely at the last two races I have made some mistakes. But generally I would say that this is normal, and it is for sure a quite long season, with many ups and downs. Everyone makes mistakes and in the end you have to make sure that you are the one having made the least amount of mistakes. As we saw in Spa, within a fraction of a second I lost the car and I couldn't catch it anymore, causing my race, but unfortunately also Jenson's, to be destroyed. And then you also see other people making mistakes, like Fernando, who threw away his car too - I would say that he could also have been in the points. Lewis nearly lost it in the lead and touched the barrier, but got away without any major loss.

Q: Throughout the last two to three years you have always been rated as the nice young newcomer. Do you feel that things have changed in regards to your image?
SV: Of course a lot of things have been said and written, but this is a process that one has to go through. Obviously three years back I did not know what I would go through, and this very stage is not one which I would rate as the easiest time. In the end I never really care what people say or think, as I always try to look after myself. I am very ambitious and I do have my target, so I do not need people telling or reminding me what I have to do. In my eyes it is quite normal that at the times when you are the focus, there are people that care about what you are doing - and you get good and bad comments on whatever you are doing.

Q: After a mistake like that in Spa, involving Button in an accident, do you go more cautiously into the next race?
SV: I take the risks that I can deal with. In Spa I tried overtaking Jenson and clearly this didn't work, full stop. So there is no reason for changing my driving for this race. We have a very good car and I have a very good chance to win this race, and this is what we have to focus on. Once you are in the car you are busy enough. For me the secret is not to think about too many different things, and just to focus on the moment. If I see a chance to win, and also to overtake, I will always go for it, even if it sometimes doesn't work out. You always have to see that you are able to get the maximum out of yourself, and what others do is not in your hands.

Q: What is your feeling on the set-up so far for this Friday?
SV: Today I would say that it was quite good, but the lap times might vary over the coming days for everyone, as you do not know the fuel loads. I am very confident that this year it looks much better than the year before. Obviously there’s no KERS this year, which helps us. From last year we have learned our lesson, as we got hammered quite badly here. We made a huge step forward, but only from tomorrow on we will see the true pace. McLaren is very quick, but also their cars went off track quite often, so I don't know if they had a clean afternoon at all. Also Ferrari have been very quick in the afternoon session. It will be very tight, and the lap is quite short here, with many straights and many corners, so the gap between the cars will be very small.

Q: What is your opinion on the topic of team orders after the FIA resolution?
SV: There is not a lot to add, obviously the decision was made. The rule is pretty clear, and we all saw what happened in Hockenheim. I think there has been enough said. For myself and us as a team we have to focus on ourselves and the race. Hockenheim is long time ago, and Ferrari definitely had the quickest car there, so they deserved to win and we finished third. That's it.

Source: Formula1.com