Q&A with Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel 24 Nov 2011
Every possible question has been asked and answered. In this respect Sebastian Vettel will probably be happy to bid farewell to the 2011 season on Sunday. But the Brazilian Grand Prix is always special, a race riddled with endless track action, and one that will no doubt provide a worthy end to a fantastic year. Vettel is also in no doubt that he won’t be moving over and letting a rival take the winner’s trophy home…
Q: Sebastian, what do you know now about the tyre issue from Abu Dhabi? Pirelli said that it was not a structural failure so have you had another look at it?
Sebastian Vettel: Of course I have - but you can look at it a hundred times and the result will not change. I think in the end we will never completely know what the cause was so the best thing we can do is get it out of our head. I know that I haven’t done anything wrong, and that it was not a piece of debris nor going over the kerbs too aggressively, because all that wouldn’t have had such an instant impact - the tyre was flat after another hundred metres or so and my race over.
Q: So a victory here in Brazil would be…
SV: Great! Simple as that… (laughs)
Q: Has Nigel Mansell (whose record of 14 poles in one season Vettel could break this weekend) called?
SV: Not so far, but as the last race was not really a huge success I wasn’t thinking in that direction at all. I think these kinds of numbers are not so much my thing. I’d rather concentrate on racing and the numbers on the time and data sheets.
Q: So what is the plan for the next three days?
SV: To find a good set-up and have a grid position as close to the front as possible - and then let’s wait and see. We have proved we can have car with the potential to win at every race and that our strategy has what it takes to transform potential into results - so why should it be different here? This track is very special to me and we have seen in the last couple of years that it can hold many uncertainties. It’s a short track that compensates with a lot of action, so I predict a sizzling race - and this weekend I want to be part of it again! (laughs)
Q: Are you somewhat relieved that the season finishes this weekend, or sad?
SV: A bit of both. Sad, because a fantastic season is coming to an end - a season where I’ve found my rhythm - and relieved because we’ve come a long way. We started at the beginning of February and now we are at the end of November after what was a flat-out ten months’ endeavour around the world, bagging both titles, so now it is time for re-charging the batteries.
Q: So what is on your agenda for the winter weeks?
SV: Well, after this weekend there are still two weeks flat-out with the Race of Champions in Germany and some days later the FIA Gala in Delhi. But when all that is successfully completed the destination is clearly home. After tasting a bit of homeliness I am looking forward to hitting the slopes for some good skiing - and before you know it it’s the end of January again and the 2012 season.
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