A jubilant Sebastian Vettel says
his second world championship, which makes him the youngest back-to-back winner
in Formula One history, is even more special than last year's triumph.
After a night of celebrations, the 24-year-old German, the
outstanding driver all season, was still struggling to take in his achievement
following a third-placed finish in his Red Bull in Sunday's Japanese Grand Prix
at Suzuka.
That result -- he came home behind winner Jenson Button of
McLaren and Ferrari's Fernando Alonso -- wrapped up a second successive title
for Vettel, with four more races left in the season for him to underline his
superiority.
"It is not just me, but it is the whole team that does
the work for this," he said. "So I want to thank every single person
-- the whole team back at Milton Keynes in England and everyone in the race
team.
"We have done it all together and this time around,
really, it feels great. You know last year when I won the title at Abu Dhabi it
was the last race.
"I won and it was all over and the season was finished
and I had a long time out of the car.
"This year, it's a bit different and it makes it more
special so I'm looking forward to the rest of the season now."
Vettel, who needed just one point in Japan to clinch the
title, joins a pantheon of greats that includes Juan Manuel Fangio, Ayrton
Senna and Michael Schumacher as one of only nine drivers to successfully defend
the title.
Vettel said having his compatriot and boyhood hero Schumacher
racing alongside him made his crowning glory that bit more special.
"You know, I never imagined that I would win the world
championship, and the second world championship, and Michael drives past me
doing this (a thumbs-up)," Vettel said.
"That's really weird because when I was a little boy he
was already Formula One world champion. So that imagination was far out of
sight.
"But it is those sort of small details that make this
something very special for me.
"Life for all of us doesn't get much better than
this."
Red Bull team chief Christian Horner was effusive in his
praise for the unassuming Vettel.
Horner said: "He joins a very elite group now. He has
marked himself out as one of the greats. At such a young age, it's phenomenal
what he's achieved in such a short space of time."
And Horner had a warning for the field left in Vettel's wake,
saying: "The best is still to come.
"He strives for perfection and the work rate that he
puts in is one of the things that marks him out."
The seven-time world champion Schumacher, now 42, who
finished a strong sixth for Mercedes at Suzuka, said: "I'm very excited
for him. He is a great driver and still so young! And he is the youngest double
world champion.
"I feel very excited and happy for him and I hope he can
stay at the top a long time.
Alonso, the last man to successfully defend his title, in
2006, said: "He drove perfectly in all races and qualifying in all
conditions. He deserved it."
McLaren rivals Button and Lewis Hamilton, two previous world
champions, were also fulsome in their praise. Hamilton, who has endured a
difficult campaign, called it "a perfect season" from Vettel.
Button added: "Sebastian this year has been phenomenal
and he totally deserves the world championship here. He has been given the
equipment to do a good job -- and you need that -- but he has delivered and he
hasn't really made any mistakes this year.
"He has been very quick in qualifying and he has been on
the podium every race except one. His worst position is a fourth -- how many
drivers would dream to get a fourth? He is right at the top of his game."
Despite having the title in the bag, Vettel said he had no
intention of easing off and wants to increase his total of 19 career wins in
the remaining races in South Korea, India, Abu Dhabi and Brazil.
The Red Bull team will also be hunting to retain their crown
as the constructors' world champions, hoping to clinch that at the Korean Grand
Prix this weekend.
"I want us to finish the job off," said Vettel.
Source : AFP
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