Sebastian Vettel's dominant victory at the Canadian Grand Prix ticked a number of significant boxes at the end of a tense but processional race on a splendid afternoon in Montreal in front of an enthusiastic and colourful capacity crowd.
Boxes that were ticked on the weekend in Canada for Vettel and his Ferrari team include: first pole position at the venue for the Reds since 2001 and their first win since 2004 at the venue named after their favourite son Gilles Villeneuve.
The late great Canadian also happening to have won his home race exactly 40 years ago for Ferrari, his maiden win in Formula 1.
Vettel spoke after his claiming his 50th grand prix victory:
You don’t normally give us very much emotion, but to win your 50th grand prix and the perfect way you did it today, how was it?
Sebastian Vettel: Perfect is a good way to describe it. Unbelievable. I said yesterday how much this place means for Ferrari I think we see it from the moment we touch down and come here and to have a race like we had today is unbelievable. OK, 50 for me, but I think after a long time, a long stretch that Ferrari didn’t win here, I saw the people around and they were super happy. I’m sure they had a blast and they will have a blast tonight. Just happy, and grazie alla squadra.
Sebastian Vettel: Perfect is a good way to describe it. Unbelievable. I said yesterday how much this place means for Ferrari I think we see it from the moment we touch down and come here and to have a race like we had today is unbelievable. OK, 50 for me, but I think after a long time, a long stretch that Ferrari didn’t win here, I saw the people around and they were super happy. I’m sure they had a blast and they will have a blast tonight. Just happy, and grazie alla squadra.
You can see what it means to the team, but you go away as championship leader as well. Has the championship come alive after that little period of bad luck you had?
SV: It’s still a long way, so I’m not too bothered to be honest. But for sure it’s a good side effect. But for today, Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, we had Jacques driving his father’s car earlier, so very emotional and to have a Ferrari winning today, and me driving it, makes me very proud and I’m honoured. I think it’s a day to remember the great Gilles Villeneuve.
SV: It’s still a long way, so I’m not too bothered to be honest. But for sure it’s a good side effect. But for today, Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, we had Jacques driving his father’s car earlier, so very emotional and to have a Ferrari winning today, and me driving it, makes me very proud and I’m honoured. I think it’s a day to remember the great Gilles Villeneuve.
You mentioned Gilles Villeneuve yesterday, today Ferrari got the first win after 2004, it was Michael Schumacher. I don’t know if you had an idea of dedicating this victory to him or something like that. I have a second question: during your long lead to victory, did it ever cross your mind that you could actually lose this grand or it never crossed your mind.
SV: It’s a team effort at the end of the day, so I think like every grand prix, there is not one person to dedicate it to. I think I dedicate it today to the team, to the guys in Maranello and to the Canadian fans, the Canadian tifosi, I think they have been waiting long enough for Ferrari to do well here. I think, yeah, 40 years after Gilles won his grand prix here, I think it’s great to show that Ferrari is still alive, that Ferrari is still there, winning races. I’m just extremely proud to become part of that story, step by step, hopefully a bit more in the future, but I think I remember the race in 2004, I think I was watching on TV, so it’s crazy to realise. Therefore, I think rather than dedicating to one person, I think it’s better to dedicate to, as I said, to our team in general and to the people here. The second question you had was whether it crossed the mind. Not really, because I think I was under control. I managed the gaps to Valtteri. During the first stint I tried to build up a little bit of a cushion. I had one lock-up where I lost a bit of time but after that I think it was fairly well managed. It wasn’t easy with the traffic and so on. Yeah, in the end I was just praying that we don’t run into a problem, which can happen, so I tried to save the car a little bit, stay away from the kerbs and just bring it home. I think there was a little bit of confusion, because they waved the chequered flag one lap too early. That was funny, because on the steering wheel I have the lap count. I have the pit board as well and it showed one more lap to go. I even watched on TV after I saw the chequered flag and it said final lap and then I was a bit confused, but then I told them ‘I think the race isn’t over yet’ and they said ‘no, no. no, keep pushing’. Some of the marshals were already celebrating so… I think they peaked a bit early. Most of them are men, so it might happen. Overall it has just been a great day.
SV: It’s a team effort at the end of the day, so I think like every grand prix, there is not one person to dedicate it to. I think I dedicate it today to the team, to the guys in Maranello and to the Canadian fans, the Canadian tifosi, I think they have been waiting long enough for Ferrari to do well here. I think, yeah, 40 years after Gilles won his grand prix here, I think it’s great to show that Ferrari is still alive, that Ferrari is still there, winning races. I’m just extremely proud to become part of that story, step by step, hopefully a bit more in the future, but I think I remember the race in 2004, I think I was watching on TV, so it’s crazy to realise. Therefore, I think rather than dedicating to one person, I think it’s better to dedicate to, as I said, to our team in general and to the people here. The second question you had was whether it crossed the mind. Not really, because I think I was under control. I managed the gaps to Valtteri. During the first stint I tried to build up a little bit of a cushion. I had one lock-up where I lost a bit of time but after that I think it was fairly well managed. It wasn’t easy with the traffic and so on. Yeah, in the end I was just praying that we don’t run into a problem, which can happen, so I tried to save the car a little bit, stay away from the kerbs and just bring it home. I think there was a little bit of confusion, because they waved the chequered flag one lap too early. That was funny, because on the steering wheel I have the lap count. I have the pit board as well and it showed one more lap to go. I even watched on TV after I saw the chequered flag and it said final lap and then I was a bit confused, but then I told them ‘I think the race isn’t over yet’ and they said ‘no, no. no, keep pushing’. Some of the marshals were already celebrating so… I think they peaked a bit early. Most of them are men, so it might happen. Overall it has just been a great day.
With the chequered flag being shown early, although it didn’t ultimately impact the results, the provisional results issued are two laps short, so should, given the overall level of professionalism of the way these races are run, should it be allowable for amateurs to be waving the chequered flag? It could have big implications if the race is called early because of that.
SV: Yeah. I mean it’s probably not a question for us. I mean, fortunately we had radio, fortunately I had the lap count in the car and the pitboard was accurate – but if you lose radio and maybe the pitboard is not there, then you back off. Then, I think, being in the lead, you hope that all the others back-off as well. But yeah, I think it’s probably not a question for us. I was just worried, I told them also on the last lap, then people don’t jump on the track, waving flags and celebrating, because we’re still going at full pace. I don’t know what happened.
SV: Yeah. I mean it’s probably not a question for us. I mean, fortunately we had radio, fortunately I had the lap count in the car and the pitboard was accurate – but if you lose radio and maybe the pitboard is not there, then you back off. Then, I think, being in the lead, you hope that all the others back-off as well. But yeah, I think it’s probably not a question for us. I was just worried, I told them also on the last lap, then people don’t jump on the track, waving flags and celebrating, because we’re still going at full pace. I don’t know what happened.
The race from outside was not the most exciting one, let’s put is that way. Seb, you said you had to manage a lot of things during the race, even though you were not affected by other cars, with dirty air and so on. Can you explain what was the problem today, why we didn’t see an exciting race? Was it managing the tyres? Fuel consumption? What was it for all of you?
SV: I think the answer to your question is… life. Life’s like this, or racing. Racing’s probably like this. I don’t think it’s justified to criticise the racing, or criticise this race. I don't know if it was boring. From my point of view, obviously, it’s still busy inside the car no matter where you are but I don’t like… I don’t know why people today are so short-sighted. We had seven races this year, I think some were phenomenal, some were boring – but next week the World Cup is starting and I promise you that a lot of the games will not be exciting – but still people will watch it – but some games will be incredible. That’s what we always look forward to – but it can’t just always continue to go up and get better. So, I don’t know, there’s no reason, don’t even look for an answer, don’t write anything. Write about something else. I think we do our job inside the car and if we can race, we race but obviously, we also do our job inside the car and try to avoid racing. Disappear, stay in front, or not get overtaken. And then some races are just exciting and others are not.
SV: I think the answer to your question is… life. Life’s like this, or racing. Racing’s probably like this. I don’t think it’s justified to criticise the racing, or criticise this race. I don't know if it was boring. From my point of view, obviously, it’s still busy inside the car no matter where you are but I don’t like… I don’t know why people today are so short-sighted. We had seven races this year, I think some were phenomenal, some were boring – but next week the World Cup is starting and I promise you that a lot of the games will not be exciting – but still people will watch it – but some games will be incredible. That’s what we always look forward to – but it can’t just always continue to go up and get better. So, I don’t know, there’s no reason, don’t even look for an answer, don’t write anything. Write about something else. I think we do our job inside the car and if we can race, we race but obviously, we also do our job inside the car and try to avoid racing. Disappear, stay in front, or not get overtaken. And then some races are just exciting and others are not.
Can you tell something to the Italian community here [in Montreal] which supports Ferrari and supports you for a long long time, say something for our community here?
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