Sebastian Vettel – The first 3 weeks since becoming F1 World Champion
Sebastian Vettel shocked the entire world at the last race of the season, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, when the 23 year old overcame a 15 point deficit to championship leader Fernando Alonso to become the youngest Formula One World Champion in the sport’s six decade history.
The Red Bull Racing driver was recently interviewed to share his experiences of living in the fast lane.
When asked about whether he could still believe the dramatic circumstances that saw him crowned as the world champion, Vettel replied that after 3 weeks, he had finally gotten used to the idea. He added that at first he had a couple of days rest and took some much needed time for himself in order to fully appreciate the extent of his achievement. The young German remarked that life had been extremely exhausting in the past 2 weeks albeit exciting.
Vettel was then inquired about his routine when he’s not driving. Seeing as the amount of G – force a driver is subjected to in the cockpit of a Formula One car, it was remarkable seeing that the youngster was able to stay fit when he wasn’t behind the wheel of a 300 km/h machine. The driver explained that he usually targeted the winter season as a time to work on his fitness. He further added that as an athlete, one learns to listen to one’s body – This included knowing when to rest, when to exert and when to treat oneself. The 23 year old felt that December, in his fitness book, is the time to relax. The start of the New Year is when a driver begins to prepare himself with regular testing, beginning in Febuary.
When asked about any possible experience in the new Red Bull, the driver was quick to assure that the car would be ready in time. The German revealed that the first tests were scheduled in Valencia in about 2 and a half month’s time. The prospects of the new RB 7 looked tantalizing. Vettel's involvement in the development phase ranged from pointing out the deficiencies of the previous model and incorporating them in the car for the 2011 season.
Vettel was inquired next about his definition of a fast car. To the question, the Formula One champion replied that gut feeling played an integral role in knowing that the vehicle was fast or not. He further added that competition is an underlying factor as well. A car must therefore be competitive in order to be fast.
The Red Bull driver talked about the feeling he had when he first sat in the RB 6. He described it as something special and touched upon the transition the car underwent during the course of the season – the car ended up gaining between half to two seconds a lap.
The Red Bull driver currently finds himself at the top of the Formula One ladder after securing the driver’s world championship. For someone his age, it was a remarkable achievement. When asked what his approach was to be hungry for more, the driver simply replied that while the celebrations lasted for a while, he was quick to focus on the next season and start working on the new model. He argued that in the harsh, competitive world if one were to stop pushing oneself to do better, others were bound to catch up quickly.
The words of the young driver reflect maturity beyond age. The most striking aspect of Vettel’s personality is that despite the instant success, it was hard to accuse the driver of any sort of cocky behavior. As it turns out, the ‘crash kid’, has a strong head on his shoulders and while he still has the same level of intensity and that ‘never say die’ attitude with him, he might as well be the guy that breaks Michael Schumacher’s 7 time world champion record.
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