Vettel expects strategies ‘won’t matter too much’

2013 Indian Grand Prix

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Sebastian Vettel doubts the mix of strategies being used by the top ten drivers will make a great difference in tomorrow’s race.

Vettel and the Mercedes drivers will start in the top three on soft tyres while fourth-placed Mark Webber and Fernando Alonso, eighth, will use the medium compound for the first stint.

“It’s all difficult now, it’s very interesting, surely not easy,” said Vettel when asked if he considered starting the race on the medium tyres.

“I think in the end if everybody does his bit then it probably doesn’t matter too much but surely the race will be different in the beginning if you start on the opposite tyre.

“So for us three I think it’s the same thing. But then obviously I think Mark is the first car on [mediums] with a different strategy.”

Vettel has a strong chance of claiming a fourth consecutive drivers’ championship title in tomorrow’s race but said he is keeping it from his mind.

“I’m trying not to think about it – obviously it’s difficult when every second person in the paddock asks you the same question!” he said.

“But I think we’ve done pretty well in the past focusing on every single step. I don’t see a reason why to change things for tomorrow, the next couple of races,” Vettel added.

“With strategy I think it will be tricky to always do the right thing,” he added. “But there’s a lot of laps so I think we’ve a quick package so we should be in good shape tomorrow.”

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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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26 comments on “Vettel expects strategies ‘won’t matter too much’”

  1. The major difference I think it will make is Vettel is now likely to lose his 100% laps lead record! Otherwise, it will be interesting to see how much he can gap the Mercedes and indeed if Webber will stay behind them. I think the gap he can build before needing to pit to the medium runners will be crucial, and how quickly he can dispose of the medium runners he will inevitably end up behind.

    What this means, essentially, is Vettel will need to do some overtaking. Huzzah!

    1. 2011, 2012 were quite close too. So it is really hard to tell.

  2. Strategies won’t matter?

    Well seeing as strategy was the only thing left in Formula 1 that slightly resembles Formula 1 I guess we should just call it Formula Pirelli now.

    1. If your car is 0.7 seconds a lap faster than the rest, strategies don’t matter :P However, if I was Seb, I’d watch out for Webber ^^

      1. And Alonso if he gets a good start.

        1. If Alonso qualified second, as he did in Q2, he could’ve led Vettel until the DRS phase, and followed him from there – Ferrari must be confident in their strategy, as they threw away the chance to battle Vettel on track directly for the first time in a while.

  3. Seb the great must be wondering what he has to do to get someone to race him. He’s on another level for sure and only a drop of standards will bring his rivals closer, and I’m not talking about the car here. This man is without a doubt the best driver on the grid and has been for probably 2 years now, maybe longer.
    For Vettel hatters, this must be like watching your sworn enemy get the most gorgeous girl in town and getting laid every time he wants while you end up with the average jane, who gives hell for even looking in her direction.

    1. Yes its all Vettel he is 7 tenths worth of talent ahead of everyone, its all Seb. Rolls Eyes.

      I have a love hate relationship with him, my fav driver is Hamilton and up untill Silverstone i was always happy if Ham dint win that Vet done a ok result he was so consistent always getting maximum in a car that was not always quickest. But since Hungary(which seb would have won by the way) its been boring the car advantage is too much. Even the staunch Vet fans can admit that. If you put Ham in the car im sure he could match Vet, qualifying Ham is great yet i think Vet copes with pressure more. What im hoping is next year to see how Ricciardo does who is a good qualifyer, what if Vet gets beat? Will that hurt his legacy?

      1. It seems like Red Bull have simply pulled away from the chasing pack by one full second now – due to their all year round development, while others are focussed on 2014. This is possible because RB spend $100m more than the other top teams.. If not (also on the changed tyres helping them a lot) we would have a very interesting battle for the win.

    2. Please, he’s a great driver, one of the very best, but he’d be nowhere without that car. That’s not a criticism – it’s the same with every driver – but at the end of the day you’re only as good as your team. If Ferrari and McLaren hadn’t made so many mistakes over the last few seasons or if Red Bull’s car development programme wasn’t so phenomenal, Vettel’s stat sheet would look a lot worse.

      Everyone who has won a championship is a great driver. But context is all important. We can’t say who is the best driver ever because there are simply too many extra factors involved. Is Vettel better than Hamilton or Alonso or Raikonnen or Button? We’ll never know. But they are all champions so they deserve equal respect, in my eyes.

  4. I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again. No driver starting on the harder compound after qualifying on it in Q3 has managed to make it onto the podium. I fully expect Vettel and the 2 Mercs on the podium tomorrow.

    From a ‘make the race interesting’ point of view, I’d love to be wrong though!

    1. Is that actually a statistic? If so it’s quite interesting to see if the trend continues!

    2. None of them have started from 4th though, which I think makes this one different. Usually it is a strategy used by those who aren’t quite quick enough to qualify in the top 3, but Webber certainly was.

      1. I don’t. Unless Webber can pull something special out of the bag, he won’t be able to beat Vettel to the flag. Until Japan he has been pretty underwhelming, so if that was an one-off showing his different strategy won’t make any diference.

        1. No I doubt Webber will win, but he should get on the podium @toiago!

  5. HAM or ALO in the same car, they probably offer a bigger challenge to SEB but beat him? I don’t think so.
    They’d win a couple of GP’s but at the end the WDC would still belong to Vettel. Such is his ability and consistency above all other drivers that in the end he’d still come up tops.
    No other driver has his ability to absolutely dominate. I have also read that despite his natural talent from a young, which was recognised by MS, he puts in a hell of a lot of hardwork learning his car, the tyres and development, before getting into his car. His contribution to car development is also high so even though he has a fast car, it’s all down to the work he has done and helpful information he has given his engineers to assist in developing it.

    1. Chris (@tophercheese21)
      26th October 2013, 15:05

      Implying Vettel works harder than every other driver…

      Delusion: CHECK.

    2. What, you haven’t heard @tophercheese21? Apparently, whilst Vettel’s hard at work, everyone else is lounging around the pool with their balls in the water

  6. So how long before we start hearing drivers been told to maintain those wonderful 2 second gaps?
    Can’t be having any of that hard racing you know, Thats not what Pirelli or the FIA want.

    Regardless of the strategies, Its going to be another tyre management race anyway, This is ‘The Formula Pirelli Tyre management show’ now you know.

    Tyres, Tyres, Tyres, Thats all you will hear from commentators all race just like just about every other race this year.
    Manage your tyres, Maintain those 2 second gaps, Don’t push, Hit your delta, Watch your tyres some more, Your driving too hard slow down.

    What a complete joke F1 has become.

    1. Fans asked for it, but apparently fans don’t know what they want. So, we just have to put up with it for now and see how will be the situation for next here, where tyre management is set to be substituted by fuel management, which will practically have the same effects on racing. I had nothing against racing in the years preceding the arrival of Pirelli and, despite having enjoyed some great races in these past two (almost three) years, I think I could do with some flat out racing again as well.

    2. Stop watching it then?

  7. well if these tires are only lasting 4-5 laps, I don’t see how Vettel can build enough of a lead. I don’t think neither Redbull will win this race the way they seem to eat up their tires at this track. Lotus or Merc is my pick…

    1. I really hope you’re right… but Ferrari/ALO is my pick !

  8. And… he’s right ! It won’t matter. Brace yourself for another Vettel victory !

  9. Vettel will win again this year and he deserves it :) Some races the tyres haven’t had any effect on the outcome and others have been won by tyre decisions. As someone mentioned we were told that this is what the fans want – but it sounds like that only applies when the advantage goes to your favoured team or driver. They have all had the same tyres and therefore, the same advantages and disadvantages. RedBull have capitalised on any advantage this year and the other teams and drivers recognise this, it’s just the so called “fans” that don’t seem to be able to stomach that.

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