Sebastian Vettel in the interview after Formula One victory: "The car was fantastic to drive"

Sebastian Vettel won the Formula One season opener in Melbourne. For the Ferrari driver it was the first Grand Prix victory since 20 September 2015.

Sebastian Vettel: The first victory for the Ferrari driver since September 2015.
(Photo: Ferrari)

Melbourne. The Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel in the interview after his victory at the Formula 1 season opener in Australia on Sunday.

Question: How did you experience your first victory after 18 months?

Answer: The car was fantastic to drive. At the start I did not come so well from the spot, had spinning tires. I thought, crap now pulls the Lewis out front. It was hard to stay behind. But shortly before his stop, we could close the gap and exert pressure. The fact that he was then stopped helped us of course. I was lucky that I got right before Max Verstappen. Then I had to concentrate, find my rhythm, break the gap. That worked out well. It was a pleasure to get into the steering wheel. The car got faster and faster, I could control the race well.

Question: How sure were you to win in the opening?

Answer: This is a positive surprise for us all. Many people do not appreciate what this team has done over the past six months. This is a great reward. We have neither looked forward, backward, right or left. There is no shortcut on this path, you have to do your job. At Ferrari there is an extra passion. This was the key to build a great car. I knew that everything could happen in the race. I wanted to show that we have the pace.

"I have great respect for Lewis"

Question: The last time Ferrari won here in 2007 with Kimi Raikkonen, who then became world champion. Is this a good sign?

Answer: I do not care. The first race is not the time to look at the table. We must leave our feet on the ground. There is still a long way to go. Mercedes has been incredible in recent years, they have no weakness and are still the team to beat. We'll take some great memories from here and then go on.

Q: Are you looking forward to the duel with Lewis Hamilton for the World Cup?

Answer: I have great respect for Lewis. He has proved from the very first day that he is very fast and talented and still works hard. I would be happy if there was a close duel between us. It is fun to fight for victories and compete with the best. (Christian Hollmann, dpa / os)