Vettel: The driver matters as much as the car

Sebastian Vettel could still break records by becoming this weekend the youngest triple world champion in the history of F1. At only 25 years old, the German only took three full seasons to dominate the discipline alongside Red Bull who displayed the best performances with his single-seaters. The resident of the Red Bull arrives in Sao Paulo with a 13-point advantage over his rival for the coronation Fernando Alonso. “As far as I can remember, there have never been any particularly successful pilots with very poor car », comments the Championship leader in the Sao Paulo paddock. “It’s a natural thing that happens. One day you have a competitive driver in a competitive team and you get a strong combination that becomes difficult to beat. »

Red Bull and Sebastian Vettel have dominated the top of F1 for almost three seasons, culminating in 2011 when the German driver claimed no less than 11 Grand Prix victories. However, the double world champion was keen to point out that he had to prove himself before joining such a successful team. “It’s natural to be behind the wheel of a less efficient car (when you start). We have all been in this situation. Michael (Schumacher) started with Jordan who was not competitive but he had his moments of glory. Fernando (Alonso) started at Minardi and was also able to stand out. I started at BMW by replacing Robert (Kubica, at the 2007 US GP) for a race, which was a great opportunity, and I was then able to get a drive at Toro Rosso which did not have a competitive single-seater at the time. But we were able to do a good job and win a race (at the 2008 Italian Grand Prix). The next step with Red Bull was fantastic. »