Horner says Vettel is ready for title

"He's mature enough to take the championship," Horner told Gazzetta dello Sport.

"It was too early last year. He now has experience, know-how, he's become complete.

"He has three qualities: natural speed, intelligence, and a strong personality. And he can joke. The team adores him."

Vettel finished as runner-up to Jenson Button last year and is now tied in the championship lead with team-mate Mark Webber.

Horner also praised the Australian, who has taken back-to-back wins in the last two races to move into the lead in the standings.

"Last year he had already shown great consistency, because from the summer onwards he was Button's most dangerous rival, except for a couple of bad races," Horner said of Webber.

"Few are as quick as he is. His speed forces Vettel to go even quicker. They get along well."

Horner is also adamant that his team can win the titles despite not having the same kind of financial resources as teams like McLaren or Ferrari.

"In the scope of these regulations, we don't need a massive budget. Costs in F1 have been reduced, we have enough money to compete at the top."