An incredible team performance - Horner
Sebastian Vettel brilliantly won the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix while his Red Bull Racing teammate Mark Webber finished second, a result hailed by the team's principal as an incredible performance.
Sebastian Vettel, 1st: “I think today was incredible; the pace we had was scary at some stages, I felt very, very good on the soft tyres and was able to pull out a good gap in the first couple of laps. I think it’s difficult, being an active member of the team, to put things like today into perspective. When I think of the times we’ve experienced over the last few years, it’s incredible to have a strong group of people together that believes so much in what they do. To be part of that is great and makes me proud. The car was so enjoyable on every single lap. There are not that many races when you are in complete control of the car – so it’s special. I didn’t get the maximum out of myself yesterday, but we made up for it today.”
Mark Webber, 2nd: “Seb was on another planet today and was very, very strong in the first stint. He was super quick and his tyres didn’t wear out, which is a recipe for disaster for the rest of the opposition, me included. Nico had a very good start on both Sebastian and I, but fortunately it wasn’t a long run to the first corner. We got under way from there and I attacked Nico on the first lap, but then we had to look after the tyres, so we waited and then on lap eight or nine we were in trouble with the rears. I made a good move on Nico to get back into position. It would have been good to win, but we got second and I’ll go to Austin and try and do better.”
Christian Horner, Team Principal: “An incredible team performance today. A truly dominant display from Sebastian, who once again astounded us with the levels of performance that he’s reached this year, backed up with an extremely strong drive by Mark to achieve our third one-two finish of the season. At no point did Sebastian look under threat and Mark, having dropped behind Nico at the start, made a strong move on him to get himself back into second position. From there it was a matter of controlling the race to the chequered flag. Getting this result at such a prestigious venue continues the enjoyment of this season and, with two races to go, we’ll be pushing just as hard to try and repeat what has been a perfect performance.”
Thierry Salvi, Renault: “What an amazing weekend, with both drivers out in front in qualifying and the race. That was a driving demonstration from Seb, while Mark was able to get out of the traffic after a difficult start and secure a great 1-2. It’s a fantastic result for Renault as well on such a demanding track, particularly after the difficulties we experienced at the last race with Mark. We’re happy to give him the weapons he needs to fight in the race – and help us enjoy the end of the season!”
