New world champion Sebastian Vettel
is determined not to rest on his laurels after becoming the youngest man to
lift the Formula One title.
The 23-year-old German won the Abu
Dhabi Grand Prix on Sunday and in the process became something of a surprise
world champion – although not to himself.
“It’s not as if I became world
champion overnight: it is a goal that I have pursued since I was a kid and when
you reach it, it’s a huge step forward,” said the Red Bull driver. “But this
title is not the end, things will continue. There are other reasons to stay
motivated.
“People who know us can be assured
that we will continue to be fully motivated for next season and we want to
continue what we have accomplished this season.”
Red Bull also won the constructors’
championship and Vettel, the second German champion after seven-time winner
Michael Schumacher, has big ideas for next season.
“The aim will be to defend both
titles, Drivers and Constructors,” he added. “But all this is still far away
and we still have to come back down to earth, take some time for ourselves and
store up some energy during the winter. I want to enjoy what is happening now.”
He joked: “I can’t wait to be back
in my cockpit, because then no one will be able to ask me questions and I can
rest a bit.”
Vettel insists he and Red Bull
teammate Mark Webber put their differences aside. Vettel, who won the finale to
finish above Australian team mate Webber and Spain’s Fernando Alonso, said the
rivalry in the team had made both drivers perform better during the season and
that reports about their differences had been exaggerated.
“Obviously there were times when we
had different opinions,” Vettel said. “But I think that’s normal. When you’re
running at the same level you’re going to get in each other’s way and you’re
going to try to get whatever advantage you can.
“That’s all fine and that’s how you
push each other on. It wasn’t always easy. I think the talk we had after the
race and after the season was good for both of us.”
Meanwhile, Cayman’s Red Bull rep,
Andreas ‘Zulu’ Kettner, celebrated in his own inimitable way last week by walking around the parking lot outside the
Ragazzi restaurant dressed only in swimming trunks and his Red Bull helmet,
much to the amusement of his friends and onlookers. “I said I would do this at
the start of the season when we won the world title – not if we won it,” Zulu
said. “Nobody believed we would do it but I was confident.” The mind boggles at
what he may do next year if Red Bull wins again.
Related Videos
