Vettel does not want to give up the title race yet
Sebastian Vettel reflected on his current season and even though he is far in the championship, he does not wish to give up on the title just yet. He also discussed the changes made by F1 in 2014.
After 4 years of domination, Sebastian Vettel is confronted with the supremacy of the Mercedes. The German must contend with his Renault engine against a highly developed Mercedes engine. However, Vettel is aware that he can still mathematically become world champion.
The German driver reflected on his difficult season in an interview with the official F1 website, with results not coming through: « No, it doesn’t affect me. I have a certain way of doing my job, I’ve been doing it since the beginning of my career and it has always worked since we won 4 championships with this strategy. We always give our best. We live for the sport and we are totally focused. As long as I know I’m producing the best work I can, then I can’t be unhappy. »
Despite difficult races, Vettel is satisfied with some events this season even if they are not highlighted: There have been many races in the past where I have been good [but it wasn’t noticed], even this season. This year, we’ve made some mistakes, which also gave us the opportunity to learn lessons, which I think will make us stronger for the upcoming races and the second half of the year. I think we drove very well in Malaysia and Silverstone, but obviously, it’s the winner who gets the attention, which is normal. The one who wins the race has the best package and has done the best job – and that deserves all the attention. That’s how the sport works.
The Red Bull driver is far in the championship but does not want to give up on a potential 5th title: « It’s clear that things aren’t working so well, but if I were to give up already this season, I would feel like a coward. Mathematically, there’s still a chance. But even in the last seasons when I won the championship, I never focused on the championship – I always took the races one by one and then looked at the result. And that’s what I will do this year as well: I want to take things step by step – going in the right direction. »
When asked if not being able to regularly fight for podiums anymore had changed him, the Red Bull driver uses the Coué method: « There have been no changes in me since I’ve been in Formula 1. It’s true I haven’t won a race yet this season and I’m the first to ask for answers, but talking about difficult times is probably a bit exaggerated. We’re still second in the constructors’ championship, and we are far from hitting rock bottom. The most important thing is to feel that you can still make progress – and that is clearly the case. »
However, Sebastian Vettel regrets the new technological direction taken by the Formula 1 world championship for this 2014 season, with an increased importance on embedded computing in particular: « The sport has developed in this way. Of course, it’s not easy to announce to the fans: ‘Oh, I retired because I had a software problem. We need to restart the car!’ For the fans, it would be much easier if the engine exploded. You see the smoke, and then you know why the driver is retiring. »
Vettel, like Helmut Marko, remains cautious for the rest of the season and that even the 2015 season could depend on Renault’s efforts to match the level of the Mercedes engine: « We are currently limited in power and [our progress] is limited by what our engine supplier can do for next year. There are certain things you can do during the season, mostly with the fuel. We’ve made significant advances in the first half of the season – hopefully significant advances will follow – but we’ll probably need more than that. It will all depend on what Renault can do. For me, Ferrari is also in a similar position. We see that some changes are not possible. »
Sometimes, a change can allow you to bounce back, but for now, Vettel isn’t thinking about it, even if a departure from Red Bull is conceivable at the end of his contract: « You are right, sometimes change can work miracles. When I moved from Toro Rosso to Red Bull, I accomplished miracles! Four to be precise. I am focused [with Red Bull] and busy with what we are doing because it’s not so easy to make progress. I would really like to have a better reward on Sunday, but that’s the way things are currently. Aside from that, I’m not thinking of anything beyond the next season. The contract is clear. »
Former Toro Rosso driver regrets the lack of connection with fans during Grand Prix: « Maybe it would help if we had fewer technical options to explore on the car – we would then have more time for the fans. A louder and simpler F1 for the fans. Fans hardly see the 22 drivers, simply because we are too busy. People have a mistaken perception of what happens in F1: I was racing against Lewis on track, for example, but the only time I saw him outside the car was at the drivers’ briefing and the parade. Everyone is busy in their own team, so caught up in meetings – and it’s a change from the past when drivers could more often meet the fans. We should consider moving a bit more in that direction again. »
