Site logo

Abu Dhabi GP: Post Race press conference

NEWS STORY
14/11/2010

Sebastian, you have only led this World Championship once this season and that is today.
Sebastian Vettel: Yeah, I am a bit speechless. I don't know what you are supposed to say at this moment. It has been an incredible tough season for myself, for all of us, physically and mentally especially. We have always kept believing in us and our team and the car and I kept believing in myself. Today was a special day all around. This morning I got up and tried not to think about anything, tried to avoid contact with people too much, just try to do my own thing. I knew that the only thing I could do was try to win this race and do my best. As you say we have only led this championship once and when it mattered. I am speechless. The car was phenomenal. The start was crucial. It was very tight with Lewis but then in the first stint I had a bit of graining, so that Lewis got a bit close but then the car stabilised. From then onwards it was a dream. It was good for all of us, it cooled us down, that Lewis got out behind Robert Kubica and got held up, so I could make a gap. To be honest I didn't know anything until I crossed the chequered flag. The last 10 laps I was wondering as my race engineer every lap was trying to give some advice and trying to help me carry the car home. I was thinking why is this guy nervous, we must be in a bloody good position. Then crossing the line he came on the radio very silently and said 'it is looking good, but we have to wait until the cars finish'. I was thinking 'what does he mean' and I hadn't seen the screens. I just wanted to make sure, not get any distraction, just focus on myself. Then he came on the radio and screams at me that we have won the World Championship. I don't know, it is just... I have to say thanks to a lot of people. I will surely forget a lot of those. But to start with the team, all the guys here at the race track, all my mechanics, all the mechanics in the team, not only mine everyone. Engineers. We have an extreme, strong - sorry I make this long - amount of people working together in harmony. Back in Milton Keynes the guys are pushing like hell and I think they enjoy this moment as much as last week. Back in Austria all the people that have supported me since the beginning. It has been an incredible journey with Red Bull and after this season with the ups and downs to come here now and lead the championship after the last race is unbelievable. I can only say thanks and also thanks to all the people back in karting. Some of them are here, some of them are in Kerpen supporting me but also back in my home town, Heppenheim, so I just got to say thank you very much.

Some of the spirit of competition this year with these guys and Fernando Alonso and Mark Webber has been a very intense battle all the way through.
SV: Yeah, it has. I think we have seen incredible fights and a tight season. I don't know how many times we had a different leader in the championship. Some people got written off of this championship very early, then they came back, meaning Fernando with Ferrari whereas in the beginning you thought 'okay, Ferrari is dropping back'. They fought back very hard. McLaren came back. Lewis was leading the championship. All of us can write a book about races where we should have finished in higher positions. Lewis had a retirement in Hungary, myself in Australia and Korea. All of us I think we had to go through ups and downs. It has been an extremely intense and tough season, mentally especially, to always be there and sometimes just being able to ignore what people are saying and trying to get your own thing done. This was the approach going into the race. Now it is looking good as it all worked and I am very, very proud.

Lewis, as Sebastian said, you pitted before him and then you got held up in traffic. Was that avoidable?
Lewis Hamilton: I have no idea. We will have to have a look afterwards. I am sure the team did everything for the right reasons. At the time we needed to try and jump Sebastian. I think it was unfortunate we came up behind a Renault.

Your thoughts on the season and a very tight championship?
LH: Yeah, well it has not been the most spectacular season for us. But huge congratulations to Red Bull and to Sebastian. They really did a fantastic job throughout the year, so fair do's to him. I think for us it was a great end of season result, for me and Jenson. I think we pushed very hard throughout the year, so a big thank to all the guys back home at the factory for not giving up. Next year will be a better year.

Jenson, a very long first stint for you. What was the thinking behind that?
Jenson Button: We were trying to get out in front of Robert Kubica who also was going very long but on the prime tyres and it was working pretty well. But as the stint went on there was more degradation on the soft tyre and it was not possible to jump him and Lewis.

It is a very strong end to the season for McLaren. What does this tell us about McLaren's challenge for next year?
JB: I think the season as a whole has been very up and down for a lot of people as Sebastian has said. I would like to say a big thank you to the team. This is my first year with the team and I have had a great season. I really feel at home and I think the experiences we have gained this year, Lewis and myself, with working closely with the engineers and everyone in the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team means we can really build on this season for next year. We are going to have a little break now but then we will be back on it and already pushing the team as we both want to be back in the position this guy is sat in, right in the middle.

LATEST NEWS

more news >

RELATED ARTICLES

LATEST IMAGES

galleries >

  • Pitpass.com latest F1/Formula 1 images
  • Pitpass.com latest F1/Formula 1 images
  • Pitpass.com latest F1/Formula 1 images
  • Pitpass.com latest F1/Formula 1 images
  • Pitpass.com latest F1/Formula 1 images
  • Pitpass.com latest F1/Formula 1 images
  • Pitpass.com latest F1/Formula 1 images
  • Pitpass.com latest F1/Formula 1 images
  • Pitpass.com latest F1/Formula 1 images
  • Pitpass.com latest F1/Formula 1 images
  • Pitpass.com latest F1/Formula 1 images
  • Pitpass.com latest F1/Formula 1 images
  • Pitpass.com latest F1/Formula 1 images
  • Pitpass.com latest F1/Formula 1 images
  • Pitpass.com latest F1/Formula 1 images
  • Pitpass.com latest F1/Formula 1 images
  • Pitpass.com latest F1/Formula 1 images
  • Pitpass.com latest F1/Formula 1 images
  • Pitpass.com latest F1/Formula 1 images
  • Pitpass.com latest F1/Formula 1 images

POST A COMMENT

or Register for a Pitpass ID to have your say

Please note that all posts are reactively moderated and must adhere to the site's posting rules and etiquette.

Post your comment

READERS COMMENTS

 

No comments posted as yet, would you like to be the first to have your say?

Share this page

X

Copyright © Pitpass 2002 - 2024. All rights reserved.

about us  |  advertise  |  contact  |  privacy & security  |  rss  |  terms