Vettel aiming to be youngest F1 champ
Reuters - Tue, 03 Nov 19:13:00 2009
Sebastian Vettel aims to end Britain's run of success and become Formula One's youngest champion next year.
Two days after concluding a superb season with his fourth win of the year in Abu Dhabi, the 22-year-old German was still oozing the sort of confidence that took him to the overall runner-up spot behind champion Jenson Button.
"There is only one step we can make for the team ranking, for the constructors, as well as for the drivers' championship, for myself. So there is no question about the target," the Red Bull driver said at the Race of Champions.
"I think (we can do it). We have grown a lot already this year and it was the first time for us to be in a situation where we had a very competitive car.
"Of course in the end, second place is good but we would like to be one step better for next year."
Vettel will not be 23 until July next year and should he win the title would beat the record of McLaren's Lewis Hamilton, who was 23 and 301 days when he won the championship in 2008.
The German already owns most of the other records in the book for youthful achievement: youngest to score points, youngest on the podium, youngest to take a pole position and youngest race winner.
Red Bull started the year without a Formula One race win to their name and ended it with three successive victories to finish second behind Brawn in the constructors' championship.
"The team is doing fantastically well," said Vettel. "We have a great atmosphere, everybody for sure needs the break to come back down and relax a little bit with friends and family.
"But I know at the same time everyone is extremely motivated to come back as soon as possible to be with the new car and make the next season better than this season."
Although Vettel and his Australian team mate Mark Webber had 16 podium finishes between them over the season, there was still plenty of room for improvement.
"Obviously the fact that five times this year we didn't see the chequered flag didn't help," said Vettel, who ended the season 11 points behind Button.
"But it's not really a time to regret. It's more to learn a lesson and look forward to next year."
The last German Formula One world champion was Michael Schumacher and Vettel teamed up with the 40-year-old to win the Race of Champions "Nations Cup" for a third successive year on a chilly night at the Bird's Nest in Beijing.
The fact that it was Button and his British team mate, three-times world touring car champion Andy Priaulx, that they beat in the final would have been pleasing.
But Vettel still had his eyes firmly fixed on what work he needs to do to win the main prize.
"This is fun for all of us," he said. "I think we all enjoy it. And after that I don't know (what I'm going to do). Probably some time off. And quite quickly then get back to training."
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Comment 154 - 173 of 173
Ken: Silly me I wasn't really thinking. I can't believe this season is over - what a bummer.
I thought I could sit and relax while watching the Abu Dhabi GO on Sunday but NO! The butterflies in stomach start building on the parade lap, the grid form-up and by the time the last light has gone red the butterflies are really uncomfortable. Oh man hurry back F1.
Sorry to say Ken I just haven't turned my thoughts to next year and qualifying.
Alas C.S. I am farilry cerain you will find fau;t with my posts, but don't you think it is rather pedantic to come on here to correct chaps and chappesses ont heir spekling and typing?
Dear Mister B,
I don't know anything about Potter but the plural of alias is aliases, not alias's. Plurals are not formed by apostrophes.
The red Bull is probably the fastest car around today, slightly better than the McLaren & a lot better than the Brawn & Ferrari. If they maintain that advantage again next season there's no reason why Vettel cannot challenge for the championship.
Don't bet against Adrian Newey coming up with a top class car again next year.
Should be another good title fight between Brawn and Red Bull with every one else fighting for scraps behing Force India and Notts County F1 :-)
Good luck with that one Vettel don't think you stand a chance though, midfield is probably all you can hope for. Alonso/Massa in ferrari, McClarens back on track and Ross with Brawn. Hopefully williams back on track with Barichello developing car aswell should be good season.
Forget it Vettel, you had your window and Button closed the curtains. Next year the Red and Silver cars wont be cought out by a diffusser issue and the will be back at the front.
If you want to be a champion go to another team.
What really makes me laugh is that POTTER (and his many alias's) post SEVERAL comments EVERY SINGLE DAY calling Lewis Hamilton "a forgotten man". He sure isn't "forgotten" in POTTER's sick little mind is he?
I swear POTTER is a twisted little stalker. I bet his bedroon is littered with cut out pictures of Lewis and his dad. He need help. Do you agree?
andy s, 165 many thanks for your input. I should have stated my question is for next years qualifying, I am intrigued. Thanks anyway.
Ken it is basically up to them. In qualification they can refuel before Q3 but not after, so they have to determine their qually/race strategy before Q3. That is, if they make Q3 of course.
I am not sure if they can refuel between Q1 and Q2, I think that they cannot. So if that is the case they will be lightest in Q2 and will be quickest in this session and this is usually the case.
Hope this helps.
TOYOTA SET TO QUIT FORMULA ONE!!! (from Financial Times & CNN)
Toyota Motor has decided to follow Honda and BMW out of Formula One racing to save costs as the Japanese carmaker braces for its second straight annual loss, a person with knowledge of the situation said on Wednesday.
Akio Toyoda, the Japanese automaker's president, is expected to announce the move later on Wednesday.
Toyota's decision deals a fresh blow to F1, which has been battered by scandals, management disputes and an exodus of sponsors and car manufacturers amid the global economic downturn.
It adds to the challenges facing Jean Todt, the former Ferrari team boss who won a bitterly contested election for president of the Federation International d'Automobile, the motorsport's governing body, last month.
On Monday Bridgestone, F1's exclusive tyre supplier, said it would abandon the sport after its contract expires at the end of the 2010 season.
F1 teams spend hundreds of millions of dollars a year to stay competitive on the technology-intensive circuit. Toyota has few trophies to show for its investments, however, and speculation that it would quit had been growing since Honda announced its exit last December.
Toyota, which is the world's largest car manufacturer, suffered a Y766bn ($8.5bn) net loss last year and expects to lose money again in the current year to March 2010.
Other motorsports have also suffered during the downturn, with Subaru, Mitsubishi and Suzuki leaving the world rally championship and Kawasaki withdrawing its MotoGP team.
TOYOTA SET TO QUIT FORMULA ONE!!! (from Financial Times & CNN)
Toyota Motor has decided to follow Honda and BMW out of Formula One racing to save costs as the Japanese carmaker braces for its second straight annual loss, a person with knowledge of the situation said on Wednesday.
Akio Toyoda, the Japanese automaker's president, is expected to announce the move later on Wednesday.
Toyota's decision deals a fresh blow to F1, which has been battered by scandals, management disputes and an exodus of sponsors and car manufacturers amid the global economic downturn.
It adds to the challenges facing Jean Todt, the former Ferrari team boss who won a bitterly contested election for president of the Federation International d'Automobile, the motorsport's governing body, last month.
On Monday Bridgestone, F1's exclusive tyre supplier, said it would abandon the sport after its contract expires at the end of the 2010 season.
F1 teams spend hundreds of millions of dollars a year to stay competitive on the technology-intensive circuit. Toyota has few trophies to show for its investments, however, and speculation that it would quit had been growing since Honda announced its exit last December.
Toyota, which is the world's largest car manufacturer, suffered a Y766bn ($8.5bn) net loss last year and expects to lose money again in the current year to March 2010.
Other motorsports have also suffered during the downturn, with Subaru, Mitsubishi and Suzuki leaving the world rally championship and Kawasaki withdrawing its MotoGP team.
TOYOTA SET TO QUIT FORMULA ONE!!! (from Financial Times & CNN)
Toyota Motor has decided to follow Honda and BMW out of Formula One racing to save costs as the Japanese carmaker braces for its second straight annual loss, a person with knowledge of the situation said on Wednesday.
Akio Toyoda, the Japanese automaker's president, is expected to announce the move later on Wednesday.
Toyota's decision deals a fresh blow to F1, which has been battered by scandals, management disputes and an exodus of sponsors and car manufacturers amid the global economic downturn.
It adds to the challenges facing Jean Todt, the former Ferrari team boss who won a bitterly contested election for president of the Federation International d'Automobile, the motorsport's governing body, last month.
On Monday Bridgestone, F1's exclusive tyre supplier, said it would abandon the sport after its contract expires at the end of the 2010 season.
F1 teams spend hundreds of millions of dollars a year to stay competitive on the technology-intensive circuit. Toyota has few trophies to show for its investments, however, and speculation that it would quit had been growing since Honda announced its exit last December.
Toyota, which is the world's largest car manufacturer, suffered a Y766bn ($8.5bn) net loss last year and expects to lose money again in the current year to March 2010.
Other motorsports have also suffered during the downturn, with Subaru, Mitsubishi and Suzuki leaving the world rally championship and Kawasaki withdrawing its MotoGP team.
Recently, I found an age-gap site called ~~~ Agegapmingle--C O M ~~~ It's a nice and free place for Younger Women and Older Men, or Older Women and Younger Men, to interact with each other. Age gap is not problem there. You may check out or tell your friends.
Hi, does anyone know what fuel load has to be carried through qualifying ? Happy F1 xmas to all true fans. Bring on Silverstone, have attended F1 for over 35 years and you cannot surpass the atmosphere generated alongside genuine UK fans. Keep it alive.
Vettel will be the youngest World Champion ever, and is my choice as F1 champion for 2010 in a very close and exciting world championship. Expect Bed Bull Renault to be back even stronger, with Ferrari, McLaren Mercedes, and Brawn Mercedes, these four teams will battle out the 2010 championship in both contructors and drivers titles. But expect some surprises, even though the F1 cars won't chance that much, but the only two major chances with refuelling banned and KERS gone at this stage, the outcome of the racing is going to be different. Simply, the cars are going to be a lot heavier with fuel. Think about what we all expected from drivers and teams this year that one stopped, they were heavy off the start line and the handling characteristics of the car were different. That fuel load was for half the race, a fuel race load of fuel is going to be even heavier, and not only is the handling characteristics going to be even more different but as the race continues and the fuel load lightens over the course of the race the handling characteristics will change continuously, and tyre choice is going to be more important than ever. And also expect cars running out of fuel late in the race, fuel consumption is going to be a key element here during the course of race results. Next year is going to be an exciting, I am looking forward to it.
the most vital part was that Jenson and Brawn won so many times in early races, just like a 2004 Schumacher. Now Brawn is one of the title contender in F1. That made other teams treat them not lightly.
I think next season is gonna be very close.
McLaren came pretty strong at the end of the season,
Ferrari had Alonso
Red Bull show what they can do.
Good point pablo,except I find it hard to believe that Williams will be strong. Barrichello is in his twighlight years and Huckleberryberg has blonde hair and can't drive an F1 car properly.
with Buttton/Raikkonen partnered with Hamilton, Massa - Alonso at Ferrari, Webber in equal equipment and Barrichello- Hulkenberg in what could be a powerful Williams, all gunning for the prize, he goin to have his hands full...
Brawn........Bumfluff Button with his FLUKE and unearned title will be the "new" Barrichello at Brawn..Nico's whipping boy..
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Ferrfarti.....Alonso will cause no end of trouble at Ferrfarti and Massa is a none starter...
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USF1 ...... U S h it F aggots 1
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Williams... yeah what ever.
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Red bull-cr ap... hahahahaaaa..
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Toyota......nail biters
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Manor Cosworth.... phuuuaaaaaaarrrrrrppppp
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Force India....... phuuuaaaaaaarrrrrrppppp
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Torro Rosso....... phuuuaaaaaaarrrrrrppppp
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Sauber ...... F1's very own deadwood collection.
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Lotus........ Resigned to the history books forever.
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Campos Meta.......Spanish work shy fops.
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Renault........... Lucky to be on the grid at all the French surrender monkey's. (drivers need death wish)
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...McLAREN ..still under FULL control of the great Ron Dennis will have the YOUNGEST EVER WORLD DRIVERS CHAMPION and PROUD Englishman Lewis Hamilton at the front next season ... no matter who gets the other drive..
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== McLAREN WIN 2010 CONSTRUCTORS == HAMILTON WINS 2010 WORLD DRIVERS CHAMPIONSHIP ==
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............... McLAREN TAKE 3rd..........Ferrfarti 4th .......yyyyyyyyyeeeeessssss!!!
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