Red Bull needs 3 'perfect' races
2012-10-29 09:20
KEEPING AN EYE ON ALONSO: Red Bull's team chief Christian Horner said after Vettel's win at the 2012 Indian GP that three "perfect" race weekends will take the team to a drivers' and constructors' victory.
Author: Gordon Howard
NEW DELHI, India - Red Bull needs three "perfect" race weekends to ensure a third straight Drivers' and Constructors' World championship double after Sebastian Vettel's victory at the 2012 Indian F1 GP, according to team chief Christian Horner.
Germany's Vettel, winner of the title in 2010 and 2011, cruised to his fourth consecutive victory on Sunday, Oct 28, 2012, after leading the 2012 Indian GP from start to finish. It was the 26th win of his career gave him a 13-point lead over his nearest challenger, Fernando Alonso of Ferrari, who finished second at the Buddh International Circuit after starting fifth.
CONSTRUCTORS' CHAMPIONSHIP
Red Bull is ahead of Ferrari in the Constructors championship by 91 points but, speaking after Vettel's triumph in New Delhi, Horner warned against complacency as he looked forward to the final three races of 2012 in Abu Dhabi, the US and Brazil.
Horner said: "We certainly cannot afford to be complacent because Fernando Alonso keeps turning up. He drove a strong race and it was a shame we couldn't keep Mark Webber ahead of him, as he had a kers issue from lap 20.
"We have a great lead now in the Constructors' championship but it is only 13 points in the Drivers'. We've managed to eke out a gap and, considering where we came from four races ago, it is impressive.
"But we have to keep that momentum going. It is the first time Vettel has won four races in succession and it was an incredible performance from him this weekend. With 75 points available from three races, it is going to be crucial for us to have perfect weekends now."
ALL ON TRACK
Horner wasn’t bothered by Alonso's bullish talk that he would win at Interlagos in Sao Paulo on November 25, 2012 to take his third World championship.
Horner commented: "Talk is cheap. I think it's down to what you do on the track. We can all prophesy but it is a question of our focus now being on Abu Dhabi to extract the most out of the car, the drivers, the strategy, the reliability."
Horner said Red Bull would have to be at its best to deny Alonso and his Ferrari team. "Fernando is a quality driver and Ferrari is a quality team and they are doing a strong job.
"He is remarkably consistent and we are going to have to perform at our very, very best to maintain our lead ahead. We have worked hard to get into this position and there is a real determination within the team to carry this momentum into the remaining three races.”
