Question: Sebastian, sorry to keep you waiting, World Champion. But in a way you are keeping yourself waiting. What was it like this last week being within one point of another title?
Sebastian Vettel: Well, that is what most of the people talk about and for them it is over, but even if it’s one point, I said it straight after the race and I still say the same thing even if people would like to hear something else. Even if it is one point we need to make sure we get it. If someone feels to do me a favour he can push Jenson down the stairs later on. That would help [laughs]. I don’t think that is the way we should think about it. We are in a very good position. I am looking forward to the race here more so than anything else as this is a special track, very challenging. I think you just need to look at the first sector and life for us doesn’t get much better. It is great to be here. We have had a tremendous run the last two years so we try to do similar to that and hopefully we will have a good weekend.
Question: As you say, you’ve won the last two years from pole position. Is that going to be different this year, as a lot of people have won from pole, something like 75 per cent of the last 10 years.
Sebastian Vettel: Yeah, that’s statistics, but I think this year it has been on some circuits more different than it used to be. I think it is the same here. As Jenson mentioned we have got some tools to work with that we didn’t have the last couple of years. DRS, the tyres. I think we will see more than one stop. Last year it was a pretty straightforward, one-stop race. I think there is a high chance to see good racing. Whether it is possible to win from second, third or fifth there is always a chance but the target is to put the car on pole and see what we can do in the race. It is within the race we will find out what is happening. In qualy it is about one lap, but in the race you need to put together more than one lap.
Question: Do you approach this weekend any differently?
Sebastian Vettel: I am trying not to. I don’t think there is any reason why I should approach it differently. The target we have going into this weekend is to get the best out of our car, the best out of ourselves. I really like the circuit. Generally, we all love coming here. This year it is special for us to come here, because of the earthquake at the beginning of the year, for the country for the whole of Japan. I think it also makes it a little bit more special to us to show support. We try to do as much as we can. It might just be a little bit to put a smile back on people’s faces. In some regards the people here are very passionate about Formula One. It is only Thursday and the grandstands are sometimes full of people. It is great to see the support we get so we try to put on a good show and hopefully we will have a good race and try to give a little bit back.
Question: Sebastian, can you tell us something about your new helmet design and about the different feeling as last year you won the championship in the last race and now you can be champion before the season will end?
Sebastian Vettel: Well, regarding the helmet, you will see it tomorrow. Last year we had a special design for the Japanese Grand Prix and we will have again this year. As I touched on earlier, we have one sign on the top of the helmet, which means ‘kizuna’. It means bond of friendship and it was putting people together when they had the earthquake and weeks after. Just trying to make people stick together and support each other. For the championship, at the moment I am not trying to think about the championship. I want to focus on this race and then soon enough we will find out whether we are in a good position or not. It is quite a lot different to last year. Last year, we knew that we had to deliver to keep the chances alive whereas this year I think we are in a very strong position and we are looking forward to it in a way. But even if it is very close I think it is still very important to be aware that you still need to do that final step whether it is 10 points or one point it doesn’t really matter so we still have to go out and do it.
Question: What would it mean to you to win the title in Suzuka, a track that you like and where Michael Schumacher, Nelson Piquet and Ayrton Senna won their title.
Sebastian Vettel: Yeah, unfortunately they took the log cabin down at the hotel, so there is no more signing. Fortunately and unfortunately. Some people you don’t want to hear when they sing! We are focused on the race first of all, which is what we enjoy more than anything else and then we will see. I remember the years when Michael was very close, I think in 1998 to win the championship, and then he had an engine blow up. Before that I wasn’t following, but I have seen enough footage and read a lot, especially about Senna and (Alain) Prost. I don’t think I need to touch on it. Everyone knows. It is a special circuit. Not just because it is a challenging circuit, but the history around here. It is one of the grands prix with real tradition and real history. In a way you feel it every lap but also it was very special to me two years ago to win here for the first time so we try to do it again.
Question: Sebastian, you walk around the track on the first day every weekend, every year. How important is it for you and did you find anything new here today?
Sebastian Vettel: Nothing new, so the circuit is still as much as I remember. Obviously I use the opportunity not only to look at the circuit but also to get the latest updates, what’s happening in the factory and just to have a chat with the engineers, what’s the approach for the weekend, what’s the plan, what is the target etc, so apart from looking at the circuit, specifically at kerbs, which sometimes change etc, corners, weaknesses. In previous years, as I said, I used the opportunity just to also have a chat. Sometimes we talk about some not really relevant stuff but it’s kind of a tradition and it’s a good way to start the weekend.
Question: Seb, are you superstitious; what do you do if I say to you you’re winning the title on Sunday, congratulations?
Sebastian Vettel: I think it’s easy. Obviously there’s still a chance for Jenson to win the title and for me not to win the title. As I said, even if it’s only one point - I said it straight after Singapore - we tried all year and we always try to keep our feet on the ground and approach this race by race, and try to do the best. The moment you decide to fly, sooner or later there’s a moment when you will come down as well. You have to, nothing flies for ever. I think it would be wrong to think like that at this stage and as I said, the target going into this weekend is not to get one point, in a way it’s not to win the championship, the target is to do our best. If our best, for some reason, is tenth, then we try to get a tenth but if our best is possibly to win the race then we have to go for it and try to win the race. We want to do it in the right way, so I think if you have the ability, the package overall, to do well around here, you have to enjoy it and you have to make sure that if the chance is there to finish on the podium you finish on the podium. Yes, there would be reason to celebrate, even if we finish tenth, but it wouldn’t be the same so we try to race as usual and we try to get the best out of ourselves.
Question: Sebastian, you’re not only running for the Championship but you’re also running for statistics; this could be one of the most successful seasons in Formula One, what with pole positions and everything. Is it something that you’re trying to achieve or are you also looking at what Michael did in the past? Is it something that gives you extra motivation?
Sebastian Vettel: Not really. Regarding Michael, I think whatever we try to do, he did much more. As I said, we really try to approach every race and really go race by race. I think the moment you start to think about too many other things is the moment that things that are really in your control which are usually the things that you are facing at the present time, are slipping out of your hands. That would be wrong. I think we had occasions - maybe not in the same style but in the past - and lessons to learn, and I think so far we learned our lessons and it would be wrong to allow yourself to forget those and do the same mistakes again, so it wouldn’t be very smart. So we try really to get the best out of ourselves, obviously enjoy the package we have, the car is competitive this year, the team is working fantastically well and we are on a good run. There’s no guarantee that it will be good again in the next race or the race after that will be as competitive as the previous race so we will really have to take every chance we get. As I said earlier, if the chance is there to win and we feel that we can go for it, we have to go for it. If the chance is not there, then we try to finish second. If the chance for second is not there, then we try to finish third, so it’s pretty simple to say, sometimes not so easy to stick to that but as I said, it’s not our first race.
Question: You two guys(Kamui and Sebastian) were teammates when you were younger. When you look back at each other, what has changed from that time to now, in terms of personality, driving style, communication with the team and maybe weekend strategy and understanding engineering? And if there is any situation in the future when you might be teammates again, what would the teammate relationship be like?
Sebastian Vettel: I have a lot of good memories. I remember that it was Kamui’s first year in Formula Three, so he came in as a rookie, but you can ask Paul as well. We were all in the same team at the same time and I remember in some corners Kamui was - I don’t know - 10kph or even more quicker than all of us. We didn’t understand. And he was quicker the whole weekend. In other corners, obviously, we were a little bit quicker than him, but it’s always give and take and I don’t think he’s lost his craziness that you sometimes see. I remember the race that we had here and he overtook I don’t know how many cars. It seems that sometimes he sees gaps or he finds a different line on the track that other people don’t find. I think it makes him a very good driver; you never know for the future. Obviously the situation has changed a little bit, there are a lot more cameras around now and we don’t get to see (one another) or chat as much as we did in the past but I think - or I know - he’s still the same kind of guy. I wouldn’t mind racing with him again - as long as I make sure he’s not 10kph quicker in some corners.
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