Subscribe

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Autosport Plus

Discover premium content
Subscribe

Q & A with Sebastian Vettel

Q. It was obvious that there was some tension between Red Bull and STR regarding your person?

Sebastian Vettel: In the media I don't know. You say something here and there and no matter who, someone from Red Bull and someone from Toro Rosso and very quickly there's a quote, an article in the Internet or the press or some papers. It's difficult to really figure out the real tension.

All I can say is that so far we have never discussed anything like that. Maybe we will in the future, but so far our focus is just on this year. For us, the season just started three races ago more or less.

Q. A move to Red Bull would be easier than a move to another team?

SV: Yes, I know the boss so that should help!

Q. Is BMW over?

SV: Nothing is over. Never at any time. In Formula One anything can happen. I'm still in touch with them, obviously I know all of them and...

Q. Are you contracted to them?

SV: In terms of contract for F1 no, but outside of Formula One yes. As everybody knows I'm ambassador for BMW but apart from that there is no further agreement.

Q. If you had to change tomorrow, how much faster is a Red Bull than a Toro Rosso?

SV: It's difficult to say. One evolution is a big step, another evolution is a small one. We can only look at the timesheets and listen what is their opinion. I don't know. I hope not so far away so I hope that we are pretty close.

In Magny-Cours we were, unfortunately in qualifying we were not able to put it all together. As I said, the last three races have been very positive, the pace is getting better and better and Magny-Cours was the first race we had a big package on the car. It seems to be going in the right direction.

Q. Do you feel from the point of view of your own driving that you have proved yourself and that you deserve a chance with Red Bull Racing?

SV: If I didn't believe in myself that I deserve a chance or that I have the ability to drive a car reasonably fast to be competitive enough I wouldn't be here. Of course, I believe in myself and I believe that I can do whatever they do, the drivers, in Ferrari or McLaren but I've got to be realistic.

They have more experience and I have to catch up a lot. I know that I'm still very young and that there is a lot that I have to learn. If I didn't believe in myself then I would better go home and do something else. For sure, I am here, I am up for the fight no matter what and hopefully as I say my target is to be in a competitive car in the future.

Q. And if you had the chance to go to Red Bull, that's something you want?

SV: Why not, yes.

Q. What do you think about David's retirement? You two are close?

SV: Not in terms of age! In the end it's his decision. I think he has proven that he is a very good driver otherwise he wouldn't have been there for such a long time and he wouldn't have been that successful.

Of course there will always be people saying 'oh he's been a number two' and so on but it's always difficult. He has proven that he was a very fast driver, I respect him a lot. Apart from that he is a very funny guy and very charismatic so I like him. For sure, Formula One will miss him as a driver. I don't know what his plan for the future is, if he will remain in Formula One...

Q. He said he wants to help out as a test driver for Red Bull...

SV: Overall you can say that he has a lot of experience and that experience always helps a team in terms of development and so on. No matter for who, hopefully for Red Bull, he can play a key role and he can give a lot of experience.

Q. You're 21 today. Happy birthday. Can you imagine driving an F1 car at 37?

SV: I don't know. Right now I cannot imagine myself being 37 so for me 21 is old!

Q. Are you having a party?

SV: No. I will be going to bed early to be fit enough to fight against Red Bull this weekend.

Q. When you see the more experienced drivers like David retiring, does it make you think this is the time for the younger drivers like me to step forward and take their place?

SV: There was a point when Michael (Schumacher) retired but unfortunately there was Kimi to step in already! In the end you have to fight whoever is on the circuit. Obviously some guys have more experience, some guys less, but you will always find the guys on top who have the best package.

The best car and at the same time being in a very good phase of their career. I think everybody who is sitting in a very good car deserves it as well. Nobody gets a chance just because he is lucky. I don't think about these things too much - who is retiring and so on.

Q. Do you think you are making progress with the car?

SV: Now I think we can say especially after Magny-Cours that the car is going in the right direction. It's a big step forward compared to the old car. In terms of laptime it is difficult to say because you never test them on the same day but I think it's a very good step. It's more than two or three tenths.

It's a very very big step in terms of aerodynamic, in terms of efficiency, so especially in fast corners as we had in Magny Cours and as we have here. More or less all the circuits except street circuits, you will always find fast corners and these days aerodynamics is the most important thing. It's good to have it and it's going in the right direction. I don't want to sit here and say that we will be scoring points at certain tracks, so I'd better be surprised after the race.

Be part of the Autosport community

Join the conversation
Previous article Horner praises 'gentleman' Coulthard
Next article Q & A with Mark Webber

Top Comments

There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Autosport Plus

Discover premium content
Subscribe