If Sebastian Vettel was a tennis player, he would have six match points and if he were a boxer his opponents would have thrown in the towel.
They probably have.
Mark Webber, who is Vettel’s team—mate at Red Bull said even before the German had crossed the line at the Italian Grand Prix and secured his eighth victory of the season that nothing would stop Vettel.
“I think we are all driving for second place behind Sebastian,” said the Australian, who went into Sunday’s race as his main challenger, but then crashed out after crashing into Ferrari’s Felipe Massa.
Sunday’s victory on the Autodromo di Monza track, where he won his first Grand Prix in 2008, saw him extend his lead at the top of the drivers’ standings to 112 points from Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso, who finished third on Sunday.
Vettel has 284 points, while Alonso is on 172.
Webber and McLaren’s Jenson Button, who was second on Sunday, share third place with 167 points.
With just six races remaining, there are just 150 points at stake and Alonso would have to win at least four races and pick up 13 points from the other two races to win a third championship.
But not only that, Vettel would also have to finish outside the points in six consecutive races.
Given the fact that this has never happened since the defending champion became a Red Bull driver, it seems just as unlikely as Alonso winning four of the remaining six races.
Vettel though, whose ‘worst’ finish was in his home Grand Prix on the Nuerburgring, where he crossed the line in fourth place, is not yet speaking of a second title.
“I don’t think that way. If you expect too much you easily get disappointed and I prefer to be surprised. We will again do our best in Singapore,” he told the official Formula One website.
Last season Vettel managed to come from behind and snatch the title from Alonso, who was odds—on—favourite to win going into the last race in Abu Dhabi.
The German is not yet uncorking the champagne bottles, even though he admits that he is keen for a repeat championship. “For yourself, you believe in what you can achieve and what you want to achieve. It is clear that we want to win both titles again and I think we are in a good position to do so.
“I also know many here in the paddock would love to be in our shoes, but we are not there yet. And remembering last season where the drivers’ title was decided in the last race by probably not the most likely winner, then everything is still possible and we have to keep our feet on the ground and fight until the last mathematical chance is eliminated,” he said.
Given the way the season has been going for Vettel and Red Bull, it seems likely that the last mathematical chance is eliminated rather sooner than later.
