Vettel unconcerned about Red Bull testing absence 14 Jan 2010
All Formula One drivers are ambitious, but if someone were to compile a list of the most determined, then Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel would emerge very much a frontrunner. So you’d think Vettel, who finished last year’s championship second to Jenson Button, would be feeling more than a little frustrated with the news his team are to miss next month’s first official test of 2010.
The young German, however, is content to sit out the opening three-day session at the Spanish track of Valencia, which gets underway on February 1. Instead of believing his championship hopes will be dented by his team’s absence, he is confident that the extra time honing the car in the wind tunnel back at their Milton Keynes factory will pay off in the long run.
“Sure it's disappointing,” he told Formula1.com. “But we will have 12 days of testing for the new car, which is plenty of time. It’s much better to spend time in the wind tunnel and on the design of the new car, so I am perfectly happy with this.”
Regardless of the team’s test schedule, Vettel is certainly not scaling down his ambitions for the season ahead, and is aiming for a maiden title with real relish.
“It’s my target to win the championship as soon as possible,” he added. “It is why I am here and, as always, I will give my best and fight until the very end. It’s very difficult to predict anything before testing has even started, but after the first race in Bahrain we will know more. I want to be the best of all. 2009 was a good year for me, and now I am working very hard to make this new season even better.”
With Red Bull’s absence from the Valencia session now confirmed, it is expected the team’s new car, the RB6, will make its track debut in mid February.
