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LONDON, England - Sebastian Vettel insists he is not afraid to go head-to-head with one of F1's very best drivers, hinting his next move could be to Ferrari.
Vettel, Red Bull's reigning World champion, is under contract for the next couple of years but some continue to question his talent compared to a driver such as Fernando Alonso.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
Kimi Raikkonen, after a two-year sabbatical and then two comeback years with Lotus, has joined Ferrari for 2014, demonstrating he is not put off by Spaniard Alonso's perceived position of dominance at the Italian marque, but German Vettel insists he is not afraid to go head-to-head.
Vettel, who in 2014 will be paired at Red Bull with Daniel Ricciardo, told Sport Bild magazine: "Maybe some day I will be on the same team with Kimi or Fernando. You always want to beat the strongest opponents, so I'm not afraid,"
Assessing Vettel's character, 1996 World champion Damon Hill said the German was nothing like his countryman, mentor and friend Michael Schumacher. "That's what makes F1 interesting," he was quoted as saying by the Times of India. "Vettel is like a puppy, so much enthusiasm, it seems the track is his school playground."
TOUGH BATTLE?
But Hill thinks Vettel could be in for a much tougher fight in 2014 having utterly dominated the second part of the 2013 season by winning nine consecutive races.
"The championship is likely to go down the wire this time," he said. "It's going to be unpredictable with double points proposed in the final race of the season."
Many believe it is Vettel's dominance that motivated Bernie Ecclestone to push so hard for the controversial double points concept. "It will make things exciting," said Hill. "I've heard a lot of people say it's stupid but why isn't it a good idea? Maybe it's a great idea."
Not surprisingly, Vettel has slammed double points as "absurd" because it unfairly penalises dominant drivers such as himself but F1 chief executive Ecclestone told Autoweek: "I said (to him) 'don't be too sure that you are going to have an easy year next year'. There is nothing wrong with it for anybody."
Particularly, Ecclestone added, for the fans and the media.
'IS WHAT IT IS'
Ecclestone also revealed that nobody, not even powerful Ferrari, could veto the rule change as it has been approved by the World Motor Sport Council.
"It is what it is," a relaxed Raikkonen said during his visit to Ferrari's Maranello headquarters. "It's the rule and, like it or not, it isn't going to change."
The Finn was also laid back about the radical 2014 rules, despite many drivers predicting a huge challenge with the extreme torque of the new V6 engines.
"My feeling is that it's not going to be as different as people think," he said. "I might be wrong but I hope we find out that it's pretty simple."
Meanwhile, Raikkonen showed that his recent back surgery appeared to have been a complete success, leaping from the drivers' seat of a Ferrari road car and over a puddle.
Vettel, Red Bull's reigning World champion, is under contract for the next couple of years but some continue to question his talent compared to a driver such as Fernando Alonso.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
Kimi Raikkonen, after a two-year sabbatical and then two comeback years with Lotus, has joined Ferrari for 2014, demonstrating he is not put off by Spaniard Alonso's perceived position of dominance at the Italian marque, but German Vettel insists he is not afraid to go head-to-head.
Vettel, who in 2014 will be paired at Red Bull with Daniel Ricciardo, told Sport Bild magazine: "Maybe some day I will be on the same team with Kimi or Fernando. You always want to beat the strongest opponents, so I'm not afraid,"
Assessing Vettel's character, 1996 World champion Damon Hill said the German was nothing like his countryman, mentor and friend Michael Schumacher. "That's what makes F1 interesting," he was quoted as saying by the Times of India. "Vettel is like a puppy, so much enthusiasm, it seems the track is his school playground."
TOUGH BATTLE?
But Hill thinks Vettel could be in for a much tougher fight in 2014 having utterly dominated the second part of the 2013 season by winning nine consecutive races.
"The championship is likely to go down the wire this time," he said. "It's going to be unpredictable with double points proposed in the final race of the season."
Many believe it is Vettel's dominance that motivated Bernie Ecclestone to push so hard for the controversial double points concept. "It will make things exciting," said Hill. "I've heard a lot of people say it's stupid but why isn't it a good idea? Maybe it's a great idea."
Not surprisingly, Vettel has slammed double points as "absurd" because it unfairly penalises dominant drivers such as himself but F1 chief executive Ecclestone told Autoweek: "I said (to him) 'don't be too sure that you are going to have an easy year next year'. There is nothing wrong with it for anybody."
Particularly, Ecclestone added, for the fans and the media.
'IS WHAT IT IS'
Ecclestone also revealed that nobody, not even powerful Ferrari, could veto the rule change as it has been approved by the World Motor Sport Council.
"It is what it is," a relaxed Raikkonen said during his visit to Ferrari's Maranello headquarters. "It's the rule and, like it or not, it isn't going to change."
The Finn was also laid back about the radical 2014 rules, despite many drivers predicting a huge challenge with the extreme torque of the new V6 engines.
"My feeling is that it's not going to be as different as people think," he said. "I might be wrong but I hope we find out that it's pretty simple."
Meanwhile, Raikkonen showed that his recent back surgery appeared to have been a complete success, leaping from the drivers' seat of a Ferrari road car and over a puddle.