Schumacher was more dominant: Vettel
Red Bull driver says team not close to Ferrari’s past stronghold on F1.
Vettel said Singapore was ‘a bit of an exception’ and the Red Bull was nowhere near as dominant as the Ferrari had been when Schumacher won five titles in a row between 2000 and 2004. PHOTO: AFP /FILE
SUZUKA:
Formula One world champion Sebastian Vettel has rejected comparisons between his current dominance with Red Bull and the days when Ferrari and Michael Schumacher had the sport in a stranglehold.
Vettel, who can win his fourth title in a row at the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday, has won the last four races after taking three pole positions in a row. “Well, that’s a compliment,” Vettel, who was once nicknamed ‘Baby Schumi’, told reporters at Suzuka yesterday after being told of the comparison to his compatriot and seven time champion.
However, he said Singapore was ‘a bit of an exception’ and the Red Bull was nowhere near as dominant as the Ferrari had been when Schumacher won five titles in a row between 2000 and 2004.
“If you take Korea, which I think is more similar to Spa, the gap was something between three and six seconds for the whole race,” said Vettel.
“If you look at 10 years ago, it was more like 30 to 60 seconds, which is a big difference.”
Published in The Express Tribune, October 11th, 2013.
Formula One world champion Sebastian Vettel has rejected comparisons between his current dominance with Red Bull and the days when Ferrari and Michael Schumacher had the sport in a stranglehold.
Vettel, who can win his fourth title in a row at the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday, has won the last four races after taking three pole positions in a row. “Well, that’s a compliment,” Vettel, who was once nicknamed ‘Baby Schumi’, told reporters at Suzuka yesterday after being told of the comparison to his compatriot and seven time champion.
However, he said Singapore was ‘a bit of an exception’ and the Red Bull was nowhere near as dominant as the Ferrari had been when Schumacher won five titles in a row between 2000 and 2004.
“If you take Korea, which I think is more similar to Spa, the gap was something between three and six seconds for the whole race,” said Vettel.
“If you look at 10 years ago, it was more like 30 to 60 seconds, which is a big difference.”
Published in The Express Tribune, October 11th, 2013.