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Sebastian Vettel not afraid of Hamilton or Alonso as team-mate

By Andrew BensonChief F1 writer at the Buddh International Circuit

Last updated on .From the section Formula 1comments543

Best action from Vettel's amazing year

Sebastian Vettel would not be "afraid" of taking on one of Formula 1's other leading names as his team-mate but insists he has nothing to prove.

The German can clinch a fourth world title in India on Sunday but has to face claims his remarkable success is largely down to having the best car.

Red Bull resisted opportunities in the last 18 months to sign Lewis Hamilton, Kimi Raikkonen and Fernando Alonso.

Vettel fastest in eventful practice two

"One day maybe I will race alongside Kimi or Fernando," Vettel said.

"It depends how long we stick around. But I am not afraid of that because you want to beat the guys on the track and you want to find out who is the best."

Vettel, who has won the last five races in a row, needs only a fifth place in the Indian Grand Prix to be absolutely sure of the title.

Only Ferrari's Fernando Alonso is mathematically able to beat him, but is 90 points behind with only 100 still available. The Spaniard needs to out-score Vettel by 16 points on Sunday to prolong the championship to the next race in Abu Dhabi next weekend.

Vettel, who was talking in a BBC Sport interview to be broadcast ahead of the race on Sunday, rejected a suggestion that he needs to take on Alonso, Hamilton or Raikkonen in another car to prove his greatness to any doubters.

"You can think about this a lot," he said. "I think we don't have to prove anything. I think we have proven enough.

"We have had three fantastic years. This year has been fantastic. I believe things happen for a reason.

"For sure you need the right package. We had a very strong package the last couple of years. I believe we had a very strong package in 2009, when we finished second in the championship.

"With the experience I have today maybe 2009 would have been different. At the time I did the best I could. I did mistakes, I still do now, but the most important thing is I learn from them.

Is this the secret to Vettel's success?

"You can find lots of difficulties I had to face. [Last year] we got sent to the back of the grid in Abu Dhabi and had to come back, we had a nightmare race in Brazil.

"We managed to come back [and seal the championship]. It was a bit tight in some places, a bit lucky. We worked very hard for what we have achieved basically, as a team.

"For sure some people will think you have to do this and that. The most important is to prove something to yourself."

Asked how he felt he compared as a driver to Hamilton and Alonso, Vettel said: "It's difficult because I don't know what they do. I can see what they do on the track. I don't know how much time they spend setting up the car, how much they care.

"I'm sure we all care because no-one wants to drive a car that is set up badly, but for sure some people invest more time and some less. I don't think there is a right and wrong, it is what you feel happy with."

Watch the interview with Sebastian Vettel in the build-up to the Indian Grand Prix on Sunday 27 October on BBC One from 0830 BST

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543 comments

  • Comment posted by nibs, at 16:08 25 Oct 2013

    So Andrew, Vettel apparently said "I'm not afraid of racing alongside Kimi or Fernando" and the title reads "Vettel not afraid of Hamilton or Alonso as teammate". Even if we assumed such a quote is newsworthy (which it isn't), what on earth has Hamilton got to do with any of this?

    Once more you have found a way to keep him in the "news" and place his name in your random group of "top drivers".

    .

  • Comment posted by Flackster, at 18:04 25 Oct 2013

    @169. Mike EE

    I don't think Ferrari were likely to sign Ayrton Senna in 1996 in place of Michael Schumacher for a number of reasons, although the biggest was probably that he had been dead for 2 years.

  • Comment posted by User0275199726, at 15:38 25 Oct 2013

    Love him or hate him, you cannot deny Vettel's talent. There is a reason why he's about to become a Formula One driver in a club of currently just 3 who have won 4 or more championships. Sure, he's driving a Newey designed car, but what good is a rubbish driver in a good car or a good driver in a rubbish car? You'd want both and that's exactly what Red Bull are doing. Good for them.

  • Comment posted by CashelBoyleOConnorFitzmauriceTisdallFarrell, at 16:09 25 Oct 2013

    Vettel gets a lot of unfair negativity directed his way. His consistency of performance is phenomenal. Three titles in a row speaks for itself, best car or not. For all Hamilton’s undoubted talent, I do wonder if he’d have been able to deliver three Drivers' Championships on the bounce, even in the best car, given the external factors which sometimes seem to affect him.

  • Comment posted by Canarsie, at 15:09 25 Oct 2013

    Been wondering about the driver vs car debate with SV. What I especially noticed this year was the RB work ethic. Not about celeb status but all about analysis and learning on a race by race, lap on lap improvement curve. THEY only talk technical or car, not about SV, and he does the same. It's paid off. DR rightly inherits MW's seat. RB work ethic is not about 'best driver' but the car and wins.

  • Comment posted by User0901918514, at 20:44 25 Oct 2013

    @"Like it or not, Vettel will not have the full respect of the F1 community until .."

    Like it or not, Vettel already has the full respect of the F1 community. There is a certain section of fans who say they don't respect him but they are not "the F1 community". He has the respect of his peers, current and former F1 drivers and engineers. He does not need yours.

  • Comment posted by Reds, at 19:55 25 Oct 2013

    I used to dislike Vettel, and it took Murray Walker of all people to make me realise that I didn't really have any grounds for doing so except that he's just too darn good. He actually seems like a nice person, a phenomenal racer, and with a phenomenal car. I wish the championship was a bit closer, but I can't begrudge him what he's earned. So I guess this is an apology for not acknowledging him.

  • Comment posted by tim, at 15:24 25 Oct 2013

    To be honest if everyone was given the choice between Riccardo and Alonso as there team mate nobody would say Alonso

  • Comment posted by Jamie1989, at 13:03 26 Oct 2013

    @405 Totally wrong. There are several cars that have been far more dominant than any Red Bull over the last few years.
    Ferrari F2002, F2004, Williams FW14B and FW15 and the Mclaren MP4/4. Vettel certainly has the best car, but not to the extent that you claim. Nigel Mansell took pole by two full seconds during the 1992 British GP!

  • Comment posted by User0068280902, at 15:32 25 Oct 2013

    "but has to face claims his remarkable success is largely down to having the best car."

    No driver is likely to be successful with the worst car are they? Stupid thing to hold against any driver.

  • Comment posted by User0362458550, at 11:10 26 Oct 2013

    At least the last couple of pages have been relatively honest - people admitting they don't like Vettel because he's German. It's an incredibly juvenile view to have, and if it was said about skin colour there'd be howls of derision (righty so) but for some reason Germans are seen as an acceptable target.
    Sadly with the likes of the BNP & EDL such attitudes are on the up.

  • Comment posted by User0004045738, at 09:43 26 Oct 2013

    365 I doubt if Red Bull would put up with Hamilton's whinging, bling, party life style and all the excuses he continually makes about not being competitive.
    At the beginning of the season I really thought Mr Hamilton had matured into a calm, level headed race driver, but I now question that.
    Vettel wants a team mate he can work with not some guy followed by the media for gossip.

  • Comment posted by MGJohn, at 00:04 26 Oct 2013

    Part 2:

    All the above despite my preference for British F1 Driver successes.

    Seen 'em all since the days of Moss and Fangio with J Clark my all time favourite. To this observer, Vettel is the nearest to Clark I've ever seen.

    The likeable young scamp Vettel has only one fault in my books but, it is a BIG one! Here it is ...He was not born in the UK... The rascal ... ;).

    Lewis H @ 12-1 Hmmm..

  • Comment posted by User0813332229, at 23:24 25 Oct 2013

    Its all about right place, right time especially when there is such a huge difference in performance between cars.......I mean SV was beaten by Di Resta in F3 so obviously given the same equipment and opportunities we might have seen the Scot be a 4 times WDC by now but luckily for SV they ignored this defeat in the lower categories and gave him a chance because he is German.

  • Comment posted by MGJohn, at 23:44 25 Oct 2013

    The widespread and increasing denial of Vettel's obvious talents mainly within British Motor racing fan bases is puzzling to me.

    I would dearly love to see some of the currently highly over rated F1 "also rans" alongside Herr S. Vettel in the same team. Should that unlikely event ever come about, I would have the my largest ever F1 bet and my money would not be on any of the also rans.:stir: :)

  • Comment posted by User0243197960, at 20:58 25 Oct 2013

    Quite frankly the discussion who is "the best driver" is quite irrelevant. It is a matter of personal opinion, personal favouritism, liking or disliking. People who don't like the Vettel finger will never regard him as "best driver". At the end of the day it won't matter whether he is popular or regarded the best driver. SV is most likely having 4 F1 DCs under his belt. I call that an achievement.

  • Comment posted by User0085694670, at 11:05 26 Oct 2013

    I love reading some of the comments by SV's hatters. The best are that he is not up to FA or LH. Funny, these same fans were trashing FA when he was at ML (if they were LH's fans), and the opposite for FA's fans. Now both have joined against a common enemy which is SV. You should just sit and enjoy the races, specially what goes on from 2nd to the rear.

  • Comment posted by Big Ernie McCracken, at 16:51 26 Oct 2013

    448, AHAHAH, do you actually believe what you write? "Webber outperforms Seb more often than not' 'Webber can drive around a problem better' What utter drivel, Kers malfunction = Webber nowhere, kers malfunction = Seb front row, race win. Webber 1 race win in 2 seasons, SV 2xWDC, he even beat him when he had to start from the pitlane ff s.

  • Comment posted by User0085694670, at 19:17 26 Oct 2013

    @455"...Either he or DM vetoed Raikkonen, Alonso and others." Well, well, magic phrase. If SV vetoes any given driver, as you say, it certainly must imply that, if the team obeys him, they have him in higher regard than the vetoed drivers. Wouldn't you say so? Or is it a "kaftkian" team?

  • Comment posted by Fer de Lance, at 19:54 25 Oct 2013

    The usual amount of tribalism on display here.

    Vettel may be somewhat irritating with his 'one finger' displays at the end of races which he wins, however suggestions that he's an average driver are well wide of the mark - he's a bloody good driver by any measure.

    Sure he's driving a really good car, however in normal race conditions, there's no way the best driver will win in a second rate car.

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