Just four races into the 2011 Formula One season and current world champ Sebastian Vettel is showing the required form to secure a second title. Following his third win of the year at the Turkish Grand Prix the Red Bull Racing driver holds a 34 point lead over his nearest rival in the title race (Lewis Hamilton, McLaren, 59pts). To use football parlance, the young German has dropped only seven points from a possible 100.
It’s been a staggering start to the year that must have his rivals wondering if it’s time to start thinking if second is the best they can hope for.
Vettel’s teammate Mark Webber lost a position at the start to Nico Rosberg (Mercedes GP) but managed to wrest it back and following a early tyre change settled into a four-stop rhythm. The Australian traded places with Fernando Alonso (Ferrari) and a new set of tyres on his last change was enough to help Webber secure second place ahead of Alonso.
Aside from Vettel’s comfortable position in the title race the talking points to emerge from Istanbul centre around the DRS and Michael Schumacher. The Drag Reduction System made overtaking too easy in race conditions and let’s hope that is simply a feature of the Istanbul Park layout.
Meanwhile, Schumacher, who was on the pace all throughout practice could only qualify in eighth. During the race a clumsy move on Petrov forced him to pit early for a new wing and in the laps that followed he looked horribly outclassed in wheel-to-wheel racing. It was almost sad to watch.
After the break you can read the full transcript from the post-race press conference.
[Pic: Red Bull Racing/Getty Images]
