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Question: Sebastian, let’s start with the simplest yet the biggest question: how was the season for you?
Sebastian Vettel: Well, indeed that is a question that demands digging deeper. One thing is for sure - such a year doesn’t come your way too often. It was a well-woven tale right from the beginning without a moment of buckling. The car never let us down - and we never let ourselves down. Sure, there were some small issues here and there, but we never ran into a bad-case scenario - nothing like that at all. (laughs) The major improvement over last season is that we have never been irritated by situations. Even if the boat started to rock we never stumbled - probably something that was not quite there last year.
Question: Was the feeling of a great season ahead there right from the very start, when you took the car on track for the first time at the Valencia test back in February?
Sebastian Vettel: No, that was much too early, also because we needed some time to come to terms with the new tyres. There were so many question marks about the format of the races - some were thinking of up to five, even six pit stops - so no, nothing was clear in the first week of February. What became clear over the course of the season was that our car hasn’t been as dominant as it was in 2010, but what really made a huge difference was we - the people - have grown into one strong force. We have been much more stable and obviously have learned from our 2010 mistakes. It is funny to get comments after a successful race: you hear descriptions like ‘easy’, ‘walk in the park’ and so on - and it was definitely nothing of the sort at any race of the season. Every victory was hard fought and contrary to what people might think, it was closer, much closer than it looked from the outside. Everything had to come together - and that was what was so special, that we’ve managed to make it come together at so many races.
Question: When you look back at all the races you’ve won this year, which was the most special?
Sebastian Vettel: There are probably three that stand out from all the rest. To win in the streets of Monaco is something very special - and the race itself was something of a curiosity. Before every race we have our strategic meeting where we try to predict the race as much as possible and set out strategies for the ‘if’s’ and ‘when’s’, and believe me, to think that we would only pit one time was never discussed as an option, because we simply didn’t believe it possible. In the end it turned out to be our only chance for a win - and surprisingly it worked! Something like that you’ll never forget. The win in Monza was also very special to me. To be on the podium again after three years, to be back on the same spot where I tasted F1 champagne for the first time, that was awesome. And personally the race in Singapore is very dear to me. I think it is one of the most difficult and demanding races of the whole season regarding concentration and after your work is done you definitely know what you’ve been doing the last two hours. (laughs) But these are just three very, very special moments in a very special season.
Question: Let’s talk about emotions. What was your most emotional moment of the season?
Sebastian Vettel: Two moments. Firstly the win in Monza, as it was where I won my first ever Formula One race, so to do it again was fantastic as it triggered some of the best memories. The podium there hovers partly over the track, partly over the pit lane, so you feel almost airborne and you see all the fans and have that amazing view almost to Curva Grande, far beyond the first chicane. I think life can hardly get any better than being up there. It is pure goose bumps and one or more tears! The second moment was - believe it or not - Korea. In Japan it was difficult to switch from finishing in P3 to having just won the championship - in that moment it was all quite unreal. But after the win in Korea it was the moment when I really internalized that I am the 2011 champion. With winning both championships in 2010 we proved that we know all the steps that it takes to win and the crucial thing this year was not to forget each of those steps - and we haven’t!
Question: Looking into the crystal ball, who would you say you fear most for 2012?
Sebastian Vettel: There is definitely not one driver I would highlight because we are living in a Formula One era where you don’t have one challenger but many - with different strengths and weaknesses. (laughs) That much I can say. McLaren were very strong this year with both drivers - Jenson (Button) and Lewis (Hamilton). It probably wasn’t the easiest year for Lewis, but that doesn’t mean that this will also go for 2012. Fernando (Alonso) with Ferrari will definitely be there and I also have Mercedes on the list, with two great drivers. And never forget Mark (Webber). So I will drop not one name, but many names. That’s my opinion.
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