Even on his dominant cruise to Suzuka victory, Sebastian Vettel managed to irk his Red Bull bosses. Late in the Japanese grand prix, with the race in the bag, the German sped up for no other reason than to beat and better his fastest race lap -- a habit when he senses he can safeguard the 'triple' along with pole and victory.
"It makes us nervous," the team's Dr Helmut Marko admitted to German RTL television. Team boss Christian Horner agrees, but adds: "He's going faster and faster but you realise he knows exactly what he's doing."
Nonetheless, the radio messages went out to Vettel to "be careful", given the importance of securing the race win with championship leader Fernando Alonso already out. Niki Lauda said it's a risk he wouldn't have taken. The Austrian legend then turned to Marko and insisted: "Neither of us would have done that..."
"That's true," Marko replied, "but that's Vettel. It's something he wants to do; to demonstrate what himself and the car are capable of. But it is unnecessary," he acknowledged. "We try it the pleasant way, telling him 'that's enough', but he's a racer," added Marko.
For Spaniard Alonso, who was slightly critical of Kimi Raikkonen for cutting his tyre before his first corner retirement, he said the rest of the 2012 season has now become a "mini championship" just between himself and Vettel. It is also a new start for his Ferrari teammate Felipe Massa, who in returning to the podium after a two-year absence is now expected to secure the seat for 2013. When asked if second place at Suzuka could seal the deal, the Brazilian agreed: "I think so."
It's a similar story for Kamui Kobayashi, who earlier this weekend admitted he had "no idea" if he had done enough to keep his seat at Sauber. Now the hero of Japan after finishing third, he joked on Sunday that he and Massa now hold some better cards in their hands. "We will have a good meeting tonight, to speak with our managers," he grinned.
Sauber chief executive Monisha Kaltenborn was also delighted with the result, but denied it had helped the Swiss team to decide its 2013 lineup. "The situation is unchanged," she told Auto Motor und Sport. "It also would not have mattered if it was another way around. We know him well and know what his strengths are."
Vettel makes us nervous with his fastest laps - Marko
- Published on 09 Oct 2012 15:49
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- By: Rob Veenstra
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Circuit de Catalunya - Winter testing
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Jan 26
I. Hadjar
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Jan 27
M. Verstappen
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Jan 28
A. Antonelli
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G. Russell
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L. Hamilton
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Bahrain International Circuit - Winter testing
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Feb 11
L. Norris
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Feb 12
C. Leclerc
- 1:34.273
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Feb 13
A. Antonelli
- 1:33.669
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Bahrain International Circuit - Winter testing
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Feb 18
G. Russell
- 1:33.459
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Feb 19
A. Antonelli
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C. Leclerc
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Formula 1 Calendar - 2026
Date
Grand Prix
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Spain
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Bahrain
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Bahrain
Formula 1 Calendar - 2026
Date
Grand Prix & Circuit
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Spain
Circuit de Catalunya
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Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
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Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
6 - Mar 8
Australia
Albert Park
13 - Mar 15
27 - Mar 29
Japan
Circuit Suzuka
10 - Apr 12
Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
17 - Apr 19
Saudi Arabia
Jeddah Street Circuit
1 - May 3
United States of America
Miami International Autodrome
22 - May 24
Canada
Gilles Villeneuve
5 - Jun 7
Monaco
Monte Carlo
12 - Jun 14
Spain
Circuit de Catalunya
26 - Jun 28
Austria
Red Bull Ring
3 - Jul 5
United Kingdom
Silverstone
17 - Jul 19
Belgium
Spa-Francorchamps
24 - Jul 26
Hungary
Hungaroring
21 - Aug 23
Netherlands
Circuit Zandvoort
Driver profile
- Team Aston Martin
- Points 631
- Podiums 9
- Grand Prix 204
- Country Spain
- Date of b. Jul 29 1981 (45)
- Place of b. Oviedo, Spain
- Weight 68 kg
- Length 1.71 m
- 188,103 comments on Aston Martin
78 members have this team as their favourite
Tweets about Fernando Alonso
Team profile
- Team name Sauber
- Base - Switzerland
- Gabriel Bortoleto
- Kimi Räikkönen 7
- Felipe Massa 8
- Marcus Ericsson 9
- Nico Hülkenberg 11
- Felipe Nasr 12
- Esteban Gutierrez 12
- Felipe Massa 12
- Felipe Massa 12
- Kamui Kobayashi 14
- Sergio Perez 15
- Charles Leclerc 16
- Kamui Kobayashi 16
- Sergio Perez 17
- Kimi Räikkönen 17
- Esteban Gutierrez 21
- Kamui Kobayashi 23
- Guanyu Zhou 24
- Nico Hülkenberg 27
- Antonio Giovinazzi 36
- Valtteri Bottas 77
- Pascal Wehrlein 94
- Adrian Sutil 99
- 115,816 comments on Sauber
- 5 members have this team as their favourite
- Tweets about Sauber
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