Sebastian Vettel believes that this weekend’s British Grand Prix could have a massive impact on the remainder of the 2010 Formula One World Championship.
Although Red Bull heads to Silverstone looking to add to its triumph in Valencia, Vettel remains wary of the challenge posed by McLaren – with the Woking-based team planning to introduce a number of upgrades to bolster its championship challenge.
As a result, the 23-year-old German is adamant that Red Bull must make the most of any opportunity presented to them this weekend.
“It will be a very important one,” Vettel is quoted as saying by Autosport.
“McLaren is quite confident that they make a very big step so it will be crucial for them, having that many expectations going into this race, it is important for us to see how big their step is going to be.
“Probably then we can make out how the rest of the season or the next five races will look like. It will be an important one definitely, also because I think here you are able to read the changes you make to the car quite well.
“You have the types of corners that show you quite well who has made a step or not, so I am confident we can win it. It will be an important one, surely.”
Although Red Bull dominated last year’s British Grand Prix, Vettel believes that it is too early for him to be considered as favourite.
“We need to see. As I said, it is still a bit unknown because parts of the circuit are unknown, some part traditionally our car was working very well here, especially last year, plus we do have some new bits other teams there are some rumours that there are a couple of tenths coming – or even seconds so we need to see where we are.
“But I think by the end of tomorrow we know already much better. Surely our target is to win races or win the championship. Of course we have to be in a position to fight for race wins and big points.”
Meanwhile Red Bull’s Christian Horner has rejected claims that the team’s decision to give Sebastian Vettel’s old chassis to team-mate Mark Webber is a sign of favouritism.
“Chassis at the end of the day are brackets that effectively components are bolted to, and the chassis has gone through a rigorous R&D and stress tests,” the Red Bull Team Principal. “We are 100 per cent confident that the chassis, both chassis, are in equal condition.
“If we were favouring one over the other, you could do it in different ways. If you look at it objectively, Sebastian is in the car that Mark raced in Bahrain at the first GP, and so effectively all they have done is swap chassis.
“During the course of the year, both drivers nine out of 10 times get to drive all the chassis that you have produced so they are just like any other component. There is nothing special; there is nothing secretive about them. They are effectively a bracket that you bolt bits to.”
Webber was forced to change his chassis after his horrifying crash in Valencia inflicted significant damage around the front suspension pick-up point of his RB6.
