Vettel frustrated by team politics

Vettel found himself thrust into the centre of a media and fan backlash at Silverstone after Red Bull Racing chiefs put a new front wing on his car for qualifying - having taken it off team-mate Mark Webber's.

The tensions between Webber and Vettel for that move almost certainly played their part in an aggressive duel between the two men into the first corner - which Vettel lost out in, before a minor brush with Lewis Hamilton punctured his right rear tyre.

That incident meant Vettel could finish no better than seventh and, with the outfit facing fresh internal tensions just a few races after the Turkish GP witnessed a collision between its two drivers, there are suggestions Red Bull Racing is fast becoming its own worst enemy in its fight for title glory.

Vettel is well aware that things have not become ideal with team-mate Webber, and has admitted he is praying for better times ahead where the team does not have to deal with more trouble.

"I try to focus on myself, that is what matters," Vettel said after the British Grand Prix. "We do have a very great car and, if you race cars with similar pace and guys with a similar speed on the track, then you get to see them once in a while. That is normal. It is racing, it is what it is about and it is what people love.

"The internal [situation]? If you look at the championship now, and if you look at the championship two races ago and if you look at championship two races ahead you probably don't know what is coming up, we will see.

"Surely we could have done better up until this point, but it didn't happen. I said on the radio that if someone for the weather forecast could turn the shit off for the future, because for some reason it seems to happen on our side pretty much, then that would be appreciated. It is life, and life goes on."

Vettel made it clear, however, that he was not unduly worried that there had been races this year where he had been beaten by Webber.

"I don't want to speak bad or anything about other people," he said, responding to suggestions that Webber was performing better than some had expected this season.

"Most important is always to keep the respect. I know from myself the races where I finished behind him, or were slower than him, I know the reasons for it. I can fall asleep at night, so don't worry."