Hot Vettel turns F1 title teaser
0 
Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel turned title teaser on Sunday after putting himself back in the Formula One championship mix with victory in Brazil.
The 23-year-old German's fourth win of the season left him 15 points behind Ferrari's championship leader Fernando Alonso and seven adrift of his own Australian teammate Mark Webber, who finished second, with one race remaining.
The points mean that another Vettel-Webber one-two in Abu Dhabi next weekend would hand the title to Alonso even if the Spaniard finished as low as fourth. A Webber-Vettel finish would make the Australian champion instead and make sure Red Bull ends the season with both titles after winning the constructors' crown on Sunday.
Asked if he would do "the honorable thing' if the same positions were repeated going into the final lap in Abu Dhabi, Vettel swerved.
"We go there, try to qualify as high up as possible and then race hard and then see where we are. And then obviously in my case it's pretty straightforward," he replied in a long, rambling answer. "You will have to judge according to the situation. I think both of us know how to act."
Pressed on the point, he added with a cheeky grin: "It's one week away. As a kid, I never liked it when my parents teased me for something and didn't answer my question, so now I'm in a good position to tease you, so you will see."
He returned to the theme later when he passed through the team hospitality unit as reporters quizzed team boss Christian Horner.
"When I was young people teased me," he grinned. "Don't say anything."
Webber, last year's winner in Brazil, would have been just a point behind Alonso had he beaten Vettel at Interlagos but he recognized Red Bull was never going to order Vettel to move aside for him in that race. "It's not in the team's philosophy. That's how it is," he said. "It was a good drive by Seb today for the win and that's how it is. I think the team's position has always been on the sporting side."
Alonso now has 246 points, while Webber has 238 and Vettel 231. McLaren's Lewis Hamilton, who finished fourth in Sao Paulo, has 222 points and remains in contention but with remote chances. Alonso can clinch his third F1 title with a second-place finish in the last race.
"In terms of points we are happy," Alonso said. "The championship is very open now. With the win, Sebastian is another strong contender."
Defending champion Jenson Button of McLaren, who was nearly robbed by armed men the day before outside the track, finished fifth and cannot win the title.
Red Bull tallied 469 points to win the constructors' title. McLaren is second with 421.
Go to Forum >>0 Comments