F1: Vettel Vows To ‘Fight Hard’ Despite Huge Lead

Even with his massive championship lead, Sebastian Vettel is not prepared to relax just yet.

It is mathematically possible that the Red Bull driver will wrap up his second title in Singapore in two weeks.

But he told the DAPD news agency: "If you fail twice, and someone else has a few good races, then things can change.

"So we are going to keep on doing our maximum," Vettel said ahead of the Italian Grand Prix at Monza.

The German told Kleine Zeitung newspaper: "Unless I have the title in the bag, I have nothing. You never know what is going to happen.

"Of course it's nice to have a head start so that maybe you feel a little safer, but still you cannot rest - you have to fight hard until the end."

McLaren team boss Martin Whitmarsh insists that his drivers, Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button, will not give up until the calculator no longer gives them a chance.

"That is the appropriate thing for our team," he told the Die Welt newspaper.  "We exist to win.  It's in our DNA.

"Sebastian had an exceptionally good start to the season, but on the other hand Red Bull has only won two of the last six races. It looks to me as though we and Ferrari have caught up.

"In that situation you can't give up," added Whitmarsh. "As far as I am concerned there are seven races left and we can win them all."

He also denied that Red Bull has stumbled upon a secret recipe for guaranteed success in F1.

"I've learned that it is extremely difficult to win continuously," said Whitmarsh. "Just look at Ferrari and what they did with Michael Schumacher, and what happened afterwards."

(GMM)

Domenicali 'mistaken' about Vettel quality - Berger

Stefano Domenicali is "incredibly mistaken" if he believes Sebastian Vettel is not among F1's true leaders.

That is the view of Gerhard Berger, who as Toro Rosso co-owner in 2008 stood on the Monza podium when the young German became the sport's youngest ever winner.

Ferrari team boss Domenicali this week said Vettel, 24, "is still not a leader ... like Michael and Fernando.  He is simply too young and lacking in experience".

Asked about the comments, Berger told the Austrian news agency APA: "Then he (Domenicali) is incredibly mistaken.

"If somebody has those (leadership) qualities then it is Sebastian. He showed it already with Toro Rosso and developed even further with Red Bull.

"It's not a question of age. For his age, in his head he is far ahead," added Berger.

Another of Vettel's developed qualities, said Berger, is his calm under pressure. "He makes no more mistakes," he said.

Berger continued: "Mark Webber, for example, is a very good driver but under pressure he is not as strong.

"For Vettel many factors have come together - speed, diligence and meticulousness. He combines them all to get the optimum points possible."

(GMM)

Delhi terror no problem for F1 - Chandhok

Wednesday's terror attack in F1 host city Delhi is no threat to the inaugural Indian Grand Prix next month.

That is the view of Team Lotus' Indian reserve driver Karun Chandhok, a day after 12 people were killed when a briefcase bomb exploded outside the Delhi high court.

Reports said the attack would heighten "concerns about the nation's security vulnerabilities" just over a month before the country is due to host formula one for the first time.

Chandhok told the Telegraph: "I cannot recall sporting events such as (cricket) or the Commonwealth Games having problems.

"Geographically, too, the track is in Greater Noida, which is actually in Uttar Pradesh, a different state from Delhi," he added.

F1's other Indian driver Narain Karthikeyan wrote on Twitter: "Things really need to step up - we should be able to feel safe in our own nation."

(GMM)

Di Resta says 2012 decision due 'later'

A decision about Paul di Resta's future will only be taken "later in the year", the impressive Scottish rookie said on Thursday.

Force India's Vijay Mallya has an option on the 25-year-old for 2012 and talks with di Resta's manager Anthony Davidson are understood to have begun.

"There is no movement yet, things are still going along," said di Resta, who retains strong links with the team's engine supplier Mercedes.

"It's better to concentrate on this year at the moment," he added.

(GMM)