I don’t apologize for winning, says Vettel

Vettel doesn't apologize for destroying his competitors

Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel says he does not apologize for winning after last month's controversial Malaysian Grand Prix, a race during which the German overtook teammate Mark Webber despite repeated instructions to hold position.

The triple World Champion, who made his move for the lead on the 46th of 56 laps, reiterated his post-race regret for placing his own interests above the team's, but has explained that he was simply doing his job by fighting Webber for the victory.

"I apologized for putting myself above the team which I didn’t mean to do, but there’s not much more to say, really," Vettel stated during an interview with Red Bull title sponsor Infiniti. "I don’t apologize for winning, I think that’s why people employed me in the first place and why I’m here. I love racing, so that’s what I did.

"We had a very strong weekend in Australia already, but maybe didn’t quite get the result we wanted. In Malaysia I think we were surprised again to be racing at the top. The whole race we worked excellently well with the tires and I think that’s what people forgot. Obviously what stuck to their heads was the way the race ended."

Ahead of this weekend’s Chinese Grand Prix, Vettel reckons the Pirelli tires will again provide the biggest challenge. Admitting that Red Bull has ‘still got a lot to learn’ in this area, he is hopeful that further progress can be made at the Shanghai venue.

"We learned quite a bit from the first two races," added Vettel. "China will be different again; it’s a different circuit, a different climate. I think we’re still in the learning process. Obviously the first two races helped a lot and I think it was very obvious for everyone to see that working with the tires and trying to make the tires last is crucial. It determines your strategy and therefore your race and the result.

"I think we’ve still got a lot to learn, but I think we made some improvements. We tried to tweak the car a little bit to help that, but we’ll still have to come here and set the car up on Friday to see where we are, see how long the tires last and go from there."