Sebastian Vettel has revealed his hurt at being repeatedly booed by race spectators this season, but was delighted to give the right answer on the track by clinching his fourth world title with victory in yesterday’s Indian Grand Prix.
Vettel has faced hostile podium receptions in Canada, Italy and Singapore, among other venues this season, a trend presumed to be the legacy of his controversial decision to defy team orders and pass Red Bull team-mate Mark Webber to win the Malaysian Grand Prix in March.
Happily for the German, there were no such ugly scenes at the Buddh International Circuit after he produced a consummate drive to win there for the third year in a row.
It is Vettel’s sixth win in succession this season and 10th overall and means he becomes the youngest-yet four-time world champion, joining Alain Prost, Michael Schumacher and Juan Manuel Fangio as the only men to reach that milestone.
“It was for sure not an easy season, even though people from the outside got the idea we had it in our hands for quite a while,” said Vettel.
“It was a difficult one, all in all, very difficult for me.
“To receive boos even though you haven’t done anything wrong, but to overcome that and to give the right answer on the track and finally get that acceptance I think we’re all looking for as racing drivers, it makes me very proud.”
At the age of just 26, Vettel is six years younger than Schumacher was when he became a four-time champion in 2001 and will fancy his chances of eclipsing his compatriot’s outright record of seven world titles in the years to come.
Vettel added: “To win four titles, it’s just a big number. To join people like that – Michael, Fangio, Prost – is very difficult to put into perspective. I’m way too young to understand what it means.”
Vettel’s win also wrapped up the constructors’ title for the Red Bull team.
Team principal Christian Horner led the praise for Vettel’s achievement over the team radio, saying: “You’ve done it in style. You join the greats – well done.”
Vettel took the chequered flag 30 seconds clear of the chasing pack, moving him into an unassailable 115-point lead in the standings with three races to spare.
Webber had been on target to make it a Red Bull one-two but an alternator problem forced him to retire at two-thirds distance, paving the way for Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg and Romain Grosjean, of Lotus, to complete the podium.
Ferrari’s Felipe Massa took fourth in the race ahead of McLaren’s Sergio Perez and Lewis Hamilton, of Mercedes, with Lotus driver Kimi Raikkonen seventh.
Scots driver Paul Di Resta, of Force India, ended his long points drought with eighth, ahead of his team-mate Adrian Sutil and Toro Rosso’s Daniel Ricciardo. McLaren’s Jenson Button came in 14th after his early tangle with Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso.