The 25-year-old German driver, and his Red Bull team, could make it a night for double celebrations if they take both the drivers’ and teams’ titles in a country where he made his debut as a baby-faced 19-year-old stand-in at the race in Indianapolis in 2007.
That last US Grand Prix, five years ago, was won by Briton Lewis Hamilton of McLaren and, this time around, he will once again be a major contender for victory in his penultimate race for the team before he leaves for Mercedes.
But both championship leader Vettel and Hamilton know they face a challenge this weekend from two-time champion Spaniard Fernando Alonso of Ferrari who is 10 points behind the German in the title race and still convinced he can secure his own third title. Finn Kimi Raikkonen of Lotus, victorious in Abu Dhabi, will also be a threat.
“It has all gone so quickly for me,” said Vettel. “One hundred is a big number, 100 starts, 100 times surviving the first corner. If I reflect on it, it doesn’t feel so long ago that I broke into Formula One.”
He knows that with a 10-point lead he can secure the title with a victory this weekend and that is his clear goal.
“If you look at the races we’ve done so far I think Fernando’s and my calamities are equal,” he told the official Formula 1 website. “I still believe that the driver who deserves it most will be champion. I hope we do well until the very end to make sure that we deserve the glory.”
Published in The Express Tribune, November 16th, 2012.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ