Vettel claims 4th straight world Formula One title
One day, Sebastian Vettel says this will all sink in. Right now, he’s still too young to appreciate his fourth straight Formula One championship.
The 26-year-old Red Bull driver won the Indian Grand Prix from the pole on Sunday with a clinical ride. He became the third driver to win four consecutive F1 championships, joining Juan Manuel Fangio and Michael Schumacher. Vettel is also the youngest four-time world champion by eight years.
“I’m way too young to understand what it means,” he said. “I might be 60 one day, maybe then I will understand, but nobody cares anymore. I care. It’s difficult to realise something that nobody can take away from you.”
The German has won 10 races this season, including the last six. This time, he finished almost 30 seconds ahead of Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg. Romain Grosjean was third for Lotus after starting from 17th on the grid.
“You’ve won it in style,” an elated Red Bull team principal Christian Horner told Vettel over the car radio immediately after the race. “Brilliant stuff. You’ve joined the greats.”
After taking the chequered flag, Vettel performed several donuts on the track before climbing from his car, acknowledging the crowd and kneeling with his head bowed to the track. He then climbed the pit lane fence to embrace members of his team.
“I’m overwhelmed, don’t know what to say,” Vettel said immediately after the race. “It is one of the best days of my life.”
Vettel was later reprimanded and Red Bull fined US$34,500 by race stewards for the exuberant display and failure to “proceed directly” from the circuit to the security area “without delay”.
Red Bull also claimed their fourth straight constructors title despite losing Mark Webber to mechanical problems while in second place.
Ferrari’s Felipe Massa was fourth with teammate Fernando Alonso finishing 11th.
“Today is the day to congratulate [Vettel] and for him to enjoy the championship,” Alonso said, who is 115 points behind the Red Bull driver in second place in the standings with three races remaining.
Vettel, taking occasional swigs from his celebratory magnum of champagne, thanked his team and his family in a news conference. He spoke of his respect for the Indian people and his rivals, Alonso, Lewis Hamilton and Webber among them.
“To win four titles, I don’t know, it’s just a big number you know?” Vettel said. “Fangio put the number of five titles and everybody appreciated him as the best driver in the world. Michael [Schumacher] came along ... it’s incredible that one guy managed to score more championships [seven] than [Fangio] did.”
