Vettel was never really challenged during the race. He had started in the second position, on the Yas Marina circuit, and passed pole-sitter
Mark Webber in the first turn of the race. He led every lap of the
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
“The car was absolutely brilliant. Not much more to say,” commented Vettel. “Massive gaps, big surprise.”
At the end, Vettel was over 30 seconds ahead of second-place finisher Webber and 33 seconds in front of
Nico Rosberg, who ended up third.
“There are not that many races when you are in complete control of the car -- so it’s special,” said Vettel. “The car was so enjoyable on every single lap. I think today was incredible. The pace we had was scary at some stages.”
The
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was Vettel's seventh-consecutive race win and 11th of the season, which ties him with
Michael Schumacher for most wins in one season.
“Seven races in a row - every single one is tough,” he said. “People see seven races they don't see the challenge it takes every race to nail it. We got everything right, pit stops, reliability.”
If the world champion wins the final two races of 2013, he will equal
Alberto Ascari's run of nine-consecutive
race victories. However, the Italian accomplished the feat over the course of two seasons. Ascari won the final six races of 1952 and the first three rounds of 1953, not including the
Indianapolis 500 which was then a world-championship event.
Winning the final two grand prix races of 2013 will also tie Vettel with Schumacher for most overall race victories in a season, with 13. Schumacher won all but five races in
2004.
“I remember watching Formula 1 as a kid (when) Michael was dominating for Ferrari," Vettel said after the race. “Obviously, winning is very special.”
But the four-time world champion said that it takes more than a driver to win a championship. He said that he is proud to be part of a great team.
“It's incredible to have such a strong bunch of people who believe so strongly in what they are doing,” Vettel said. “I think it is hard to put these things into perspective.”
With the Formula 1 World Championship decided last weekend in India, all that is left to see is how drivers will stack up behind Vettel. Currently,
Fernando Alonso is in second place in the
standings, 34 points ahead of
Kimi Räikkönen.
Lewis Hamilton is eight points further back, in fourth, with Webber in fifth, nine points behind Hamilton. A maximum of 25 points are available each race under the
F1 scoring system.
The Formula 1 circuit now crosses the Atlantic Ocean for the final two races of the
2013 season. First up is the
United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas, on Nov. 17. It is there that Vettel could set an F1 record for most consecutive wins in one season. He is currently tied with Schumacher, who won seven in a row in 2004.
“The numbers are not that important to me, but equally they make me very, very proud,” Vettel said, adding that he is honoured to find himself mentioned among the best in the sport. “It doesn’t make me jump into the car but it’s a shock when you mention (Schumacher and Ascari). If you equal something or you’re close to something then… the guys you talk about are the most special drivers in the world in Formula 1.”
