F1: Vettel dampens treble talk

Red Bull driver gears up for season-opening Australian GP.

MELBOURNE:

Formula One champion Sebastian Vettel tried to dampen excitement over his bid for a landmark title hat-trick as the season kicks off with the Australian Grand Prix at the weekend.

Red Bull’s Vettel breezed through 2011 with 11 wins, and another series title this year will lift him to the exalted level of Juan Manuel Fangio and Michael Schumacher with three championships in a row.

But the modest German did his best to deflect talk about his historic attempt. “You know I am here to win races,” said Vettel.

“Whether it is the third or not doesn’t make a difference. It would be a nice thing, but the reason why we’re here is to race and win.”

Published in The Express Tribune, March 16^th, 2012.