F1 in focus: Vettel has ‘absolute belief’ he can be world champion in 2019
German’s Ferrari team-mate Leclerc is not obsessed with winning first race
Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel may be sitting fourth in the Formula 1 drivers’ championship but the German remains confident of winning the 2019 title.
After the opening three races of the season reigning world champion Lewis Hamilton leads the drivers’ standings with 68 points.
Hamilton’s Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas is second on 62 points and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen is third with 39. The Ferrari duo of Vettel and Charles Leclerc are fourth and fifth with 37 and 36 points respectively.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Speaking ahead of this weekend’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Vettel says there is no pressure to win in Baku. Planet F1 reports that he has rubbished suggestions his season will be over if he doesn’t take the chequered flag on Sunday.
Quoted by Sky Sports, four-time title winner Vettel said: “I have the absolute belief that I can be world champion. I know some people like to put it that this is the decider, but we have a lot of races left.
“Hopefully at one point we can look back and say this was the decider or the decisive moment but right now I don’t know and I don’t really care.
“We want to win, but that’s for any race we go to. I think we have a very strong package and I’m confident if we can get it in the right place then we should be able to show that and give the others a very, very hard time.
“I’m not thinking that it all depends on one single moment.”
Leclerc not obsessed with first win
Vettel’s Ferrari team-mate Charles Lerclerc has come close to securing his maiden F1 grand prix victory but the 21-year-old says he is not obsessed with achieving the feat.
Leclerc, who missed out on victory in Bahrain, told Formula1.com: “[Winning my first race is] not an obsession. My obsession at the moment is to do the best job I can in the car and extract the full potential of it and then I am sure the results will come.
“Obviously I am impassioned for this moment to happen, if it will ever happen, and I will work for that. But I am not obsessed with it and I don’t think it would be a good way to approach the weekend, only thinking about the win. I am just obsessed with extracting the best from the car.”
Baku race guide
Sunday’s F1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix starts at 1.10pm (UK time). See our race guide for the Baku weekend schedule and predictions.
F1 news headlines
What the media is writing about today in the world of Formula 1.
- Lewis Hamilton: ‘I can see myself’ in Charles Leclerc (BBC Sport)
- Lewis Hamilton on ‘emotional’ Tiger Woods’ Masters major triumph (Sky Sports)
- Hamilton wary of Ferrari and Red Bull upgrades in Baku (Formula1.com)
- Norris rates his debut ‘six out of 10’ (Planet F1)
- Raikkonen: Unfair to judge Giovinazzi yet (Autosport)
- Vettel: Red Bull are contenders (GPFans.com)
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Puppet shows, pagodas and pho: a guide to Hanoi
The Week Recommends Vietnam's capital city blends the ancient with the new
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US Published
-
'There are benefits, but not acknowledging them would tell only half of the story'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
What Trump's win could mean for Big Tech
Talking Points The tech industry is bracing itself for Trump's second administration
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published
-
Christian Horner and the Red Bull saga that refuses to go away
Why everyone's talking about 'Too dizzy-making' even for the 'merry-go-round world of F1'
By The Week UK Published
-
Max Verstappen: F1’s record-breaking world champion
Why Everyone’s Talking About Red Bull star has surpassed records set by Schumacher, Vettel and Hamilton
By Mike Starling Published
-
F1 ‘silly season’ hits top speed as 2023 grid takes shape
Under the Radar Twitter explodes with news of driver moves, denials and rumours
By Mike Starling Published
-
Lewis Hamilton on his F1 future: ‘I have plenty of fuel in the tank’
Under the Radar Seven-time world champion finished second on his 300th grand prix start
By Mike Starling Published
-
F1: a bumpy start to the season for Mercedes, Lewis Hamilton and George Russell
Under the Radar Only four races in and Mercedes already look off the pace
By The Week Staff Published
-
F1 Bahrain GP reactions: Ferrari ‘back with a bang’ as Leclerc ‘tames the beast’
feature The Tifosi celebrate a stunning one-two for Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz
By Mike Starling Published
-
F1 2022 season guide: race calendar, championship standings and 2023 grid
feature Max Verstappen has now won 14 of this season’s 20 grands prix
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
Mason Greenwood: footballer arrested on suspicion of rape and assault
Speed Read Man Utd confirm the striker will not train or play until further notice
By The Week Staff Published