I saw a funny interview from Seb today (in German). He said if they would ask him, he want a nice V12 engine in his car and the batteries in his cell phone and not in his car.
quoteSebastian Vettel: Popularity does not bother me - I have nothing to prove to anyone World champion Sebastian Vettel discusses his public image, leading a 'normal' lifestyle and why the new F1 regulations do not appeal to him
Clearly Sebastian Vettel is not enamoured with Formula One’s brave new world for 2014. Does the world champion, arriving in Malaysia a year on from the lowest ebb of his popularity after his team orders controversy with Mark Webber, find any reason to love the new F1? He ponders the question. And then he ponders it some more. But after what seems like an eternal pause, the German bluntly replies: “No.”
The notoriously guarded 26-year-old, often reticent to discuss anything other than racing matters, is evidently learning to speak his mind. On Thursday he described the new engine noise as “s---”, and being a four-time reigning champion has obviously brought an additional air of comfort to his boyish persona, knocked so badly by the ‘multi-21’ incident a year ago.
While he still relishes competing to be the best – something many in the sport refuse to acknowledge he has achieved, despite the consecutive crowns, largely because he has not won in an uncompetitive car – Vettel will not be swayed from his view that Formula One has taken a wrong turn. “I think this year’s regulations are very, very complex. The engineers are struggling to understand everything, so you can imagine for the drivers, and you can imagine for journalists, or the fans. I think in the end we’re here to put on a show. I’m here to race, I’m here for the sport, and Formula One should be exciting, it should be spectacular.
“Obviously there are a couple of things that made Formula One less spectacular this year, which is not my decision. But I still try to manage the challenge and try to do it better than anybody else. But if you look at raw performance, power, the lap times we do, we’re not going quicker.”
While not calling for a return to the sport’s more dangerous days, he goes on to profess that Formula One cars should “frighten” drivers. “It should be a beast that you have to focus to try and control,” Vettel argues.
Earlier this week Jenson Button, unaware of Vettel’s lambasting of the engine noise, told drivers who are unhappy to stop complaining and race something else. But the German does not seem capable of doing anything else. Born in the small town of Heppenheim, in south west Germany, and now a resident in the Swiss village of Walchwill with his long-term girlfriend Hanna Prater, and their young daughter, Vettel’s determination to win, as well as his ruthlessness, are not immediately obvious from relaxed conversation.
As he says himself, he is a “normal guy” – almost boring he admits – who eschews the elaborate and glamorous lifestyle favoured by many of his racing peers. He enjoys having a quiet time; keeping away from public events other than those mandated by his various sponsorship duties. Indeed, in the way he presents himself, and the way he is presented, with his love of his daily runaround, a Volkswagen camper van, as well as his grasp of Monty Python, there is something almost impish about the sport’s most illustrious driver, still only in his eighth season.
“In the end I’m a normal guy,” Vettel says. “My job is probably not normal, but I grew up with that, I fell in love with that when I was young, and I’m still doing that. The time you spend with your friends is limited, so I just like to hang around with them, have a drink, and have a laugh.”
The German’s amusing grasp of Anglo-American phrases then manifests itself. “People always have the expectation, or they have the image of, ‘OK, he’s a Formula One driver, he makes a lot of money, that’s why he has to live a bling bling life’. Obviously nowadays you have plenty of tools to present your life, also, in public. I’m not like that. I’m not a big fan of presenting myself.
“I’m not a big fan of the bling bling life. I’m much happier to have a quiet time with friends, and have a nice evening, and like I said, behave like an idiot and do crazy things.”
Unlike some of his competitors, Vettel does not own a private jet – he hitched a lift back from China with Bernie Ecclestone in the year of the ash cloud, and cannot see himself buying a plane soon – and he does not have a public museum collection to himself, unlike his biggest rival of recent seasons, Fernando Alonso.
He says his biggest wish is to go out and “behave like an idiot without anybody noticing”, but that is surely becoming harder and harder with the fame his success has produced.
His private life is a subject he does his best to avoid as much as possible. While he is polite enough to smile as he says he is “trying” to be a good father, admitting having a child has “changed his priorities”, Vettel has little more to add on the matter.
“It’s a complete different experience. But generally I have been quite consequent in separating the basically the racing part and the private part, and that’s why I don’t really want to talk about that.”
Some have criticised this image of the normal, private guy, who simply likes a laugh and to watch his favourite football team, Eintracht Frankfurt – “we just won last night” – as an elaborately crafted facade, constructed to hide his instincts as a true racer.
But perhaps this is the enigma of Vettel. He is the relaxed, smiling person of his childhood, but when the visor goes down he is a fearsome competitor; an heir to Michael Schumacher, his ruthless hero and inspiration.
The latter side of his personality, including the trademark one-finger salute his fellow drivers have become excruciatingly familiar with over the past five years, is one which has made him disliked in some quarters.
“Some people are naturally more popular than others,” is his phlegmatic riposte.
It is an unpopularity which reached its nadir this time last year in Sepang, long before he went on to record nine straight victories.
Comments like, “Get Mark out of the way, he’s too slow”, jarred with the public and with his off-track persona.
Ordered to hold station in second behind his then team-mate, Australian Mark Webber, Vettel swept past to seize the victory he believed was rightfully his.
Despite an initially confused response, and a chorus of boos which greeted him on several podiums last year – unsurprisingly he was booed in qualifying at the opening race in Melbourne – Vettel continues to hold no regrets. “Everything I said, I’m very happy with. I think what I did at the time was correct.”
And while he has previously revealed his “hurt” at being booed after winning a race, he is not interested in winning over those people, or proving he can win in poor machinery (his maiden win in a Toro Rosso in 2008 is often overlooked in this regard).
“I don’t feel like I have to prove anything to anyone. If anything I have something to prove to myself, still, and I’m happy to do that. This has been like that since as long as I can remember. I’m going out, trying to be fastest and not be 10th, fifth or second. But you cannot always win.”
As he returned to his Swiss home amid a torrid pre-season, to cast his eye over his four championship-winning cars, and a trophy cabinet he has rapidly outgrown – “it’s a nice problem to have,” is his assessment – he must have been wondering where it had all gone wrong.
But Red Bull have made a spectacular turnaround. They are not as far adrift as many had predicted. If Vettel is eventually able to haul in the Mercedes, with his car’s inferior Renault hybrid engine, few would doubt him then.
While he may criticise the sport’s new, greener agenda, it is plain that he does really “love” Formula One, even with all its trappings and excess.
The “maturing” Vettel admits he is not “political” enough for team management, and racing is patently the only thing which truly makes him tick.
“It depends how you look at the circus – the way I look at it, is it’s mostly racing. The fact that you are competing against the best in the world, you are racing in the best cars in the world. At the moment they don’t sound very good, but generally thought it’s Formula One. It’s the pinnacle of motorsport.
“It’s what I was dreaming of when I was a young boy. I have to say it’s everything I ever dreamt of, if not better. It’s not the way I look at things. Of course I complain, I’m German after all, but we all have the chance to be happy.”
TS interviewed Vettel..about his finnish trainer. The trainer is not allowed to say anything according to his contract as Vettel is very accurate about his private life. But Vettel himself said he wants to work with finnish trainers because they are very straightforward, do not speak shit, very honest and its easy to work with them. Kulta also says he likes to spend time with Kimi Räikkönen altho they havent had time to play badminton. At the moment there are 7 finnish trainers in F1.
Fans of Seb Vettel @FansOfSebVettel 2 Std.Vor 2 Stunden Horner admitted Vettel cried when they met at his hotel room about 10pm last night and revealed his plans
quote"Natürlich denkt man über alles Mögliche nach. Wenn plötzlich zwei Zylinder fehlen, wenn man das Auto nicht neu starten, sondern wie einen Computer neu hochfahren muss, dann fragst du dich schon: Was hat das noch mit Rennfahren zu tun?"
Quote: Sonny wrote in post #353Anyone see Seb's recent quote?!
quote"Natürlich denkt man über alles Mögliche nach. Wenn plötzlich zwei Zylinder fehlen, wenn man das Auto nicht neu starten, sondern wie einen Computer neu hochfahren muss, dann fragst du dich schon: Was hat das noch mit Rennfahren zu tun?"
I'm sorry, neither my German or the Google translation are good enough to understand. Translation from a German speaker please?
Here you go, W Feel free to correct Andrea or Verena!
"Suddenly two cylinder were missing, cars do not restart but boot up like a computer, then you think to yourself: What does this have to do with racing?"
Its not a 1:1 translation but correct in the general sence.
Its a interview from the AMuS this week. Seems Seb was quite unhappy with the car. He even think to quit Formula 1 But he said there is no option.....
quote"Letztlich aber entschied sich Vettel ("Was ist die Alternative?" ) für einen Verbleib in der Formel 1 - und einen Wechsel von Red Bull zu Ferrari, auch wenn weder der Heppenheimer noch die Italiener dies bisher offiziell bestätigen wollen."
Here the rest. They write this is why he decided to change to Ferrari (even it is not confirmed yet).
If Ferrari don´t confirm Seb soon, he will burst in 1000 pieces Another interview, speaking from his future teammate Kimi
quoteVettel expects 'no problems' with teammate Raikkonen Vettel has started to talk openly about his move to Ferrari as everyone awaits for Maranello to make it official.
Nov.16 (GMM) Sebastian Vettel has apparently grown tired of the extended wait to officially announce his switch to Ferrari.
The fact the outgoing world champion is leaving Red Bull is already confirmed, but his move to Ferrari - although an open secret in the paddock - is still awaiting the outcome of Fernando Alonso's contractual impasse.
But German Vettel let the cat out of the bag last weekend in Brazil whilst filling out a fun questionnaire for the Italian broadcaster Sky.
Asked the question "Sebastian Vettel is", the 27-year-old completed the sentence with the hand-written answer "A driver for Scuderia Ferrari".
Now, speaking to a German Sunday newspaper, Vettel has openly talked about the apparent fact that existing Ferrari driver Kimi Raikkonen will be his teammate in 2015. Friends to begin with
The Finn is known as the 'Iceman' who can be uncommunicative with his teammates and colleagues, but Raikkonen and Vettel actually get along well, regularly meeting to socialise or play badminton.
"I see myself getting along with Kimi just fine," Vettel told Bild am Sonntag.
"He is always straight and direct, so on the human side I expect absolutely no problems in the future," he added.
Vettel had a well-documented tense relationship with his former Red Bull teammate Mark Webber, but the quadruple title winner is expecting none of the same issues in 2015.
"He (Raikkonen) has - thank god - zero interest in the politics within a team," he insisted.
I understand him saying it doesn't feel like racing anymore and thinking about leaving F1. But what does that have to do with the decision to move to Ferrari? I'm missing something
Quote: WHATEVER wrote in post #359I understand him saying it doesn't feel like racing anymore and thinking about leaving F1. But what does that have to do with the decision to move to Ferrari? I'm missing something
no, that has nothing to do with Ferrari. He said he decided to remain in F1 because there is no alternative. The cars are slower but still the fastest cars to drive.
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Thu Mar 27, 2014 7:20 pm
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Feel free to correct Andrea or Verena!
lets hope Ferrari will be better next year....
Olga! Not only for Seb!!!
