Exclusive interview with Sebastian Vettel
VETTEL IS A FINNISH F1-AMBASSADOR
Turun Sanomat 10.6 2010 23:47:23
I am what I am, Tamara Lund sang in a memorable way. I do what I do, F1-star Sebastian Vettel said with the same kind of attitude when he summed up his collision in the last race.
Vettel wants to live in the moment, not in the past. That's why the 22-year old German star wanted to talk about something else than about Turkey GP to the media.
Vettel says hello to the Finnish reporter, asks how I'm doing and even tells how he is doing in the same language.
How do you explain that you speak much more Finnish than Nico Rosberg?
– I don't know. Finns usually don't talk much. Nico's dad is a Finn but I think that Keke hasn't talked too much Finnish with his son. His mother is German and women talk more than men, maybe that's the reason why Nico's language is German instead of Finnish, Vettel thinks.
– But your language is terribly hard to learn. Even though one doesn't speak Spanish, French or even Swedish, one gets a hang of it and gets if the speaker is serious, happy or sad.
– You can't figure that out from a Finn. Firstly I don't understand the language at all and secondly it has no feelings so you don't know if the speaker is happy or sad. It's like a code that only those five million Finns understand, Vettel said.
Sometime ago Vettel was asked about his relationship to other F1-drivers. He said then that his best friend is Kimi Räikkönen, who isn't in F1 anymore.
Can you imagine Kimi coming back to F1?
– You should ask that from Kimi himself. Kimi is a straightforward dude who does what he wants to do. You have to respect that. Maybe Kimi didn't like this business anymore, quit and is now doing something else. If he someday starts to like this again he can come back if he is offered an opportunity.
– Kimi can enjoy his life, he does one thing at a time and doesn't plan his life five years ahead. Let's see if we will see him here someday again, Vettel thinks.
Robert Kubica is also very excited about rally. In Thursday's press conference some drivers were longing to take part in Le Mans someday.
– We have to remember that WRC and Le Mans are both motorsports so they aren't completely doing something else. Kimi is now in rally, Robert has tried it and is very excited about it. We all love motorsport from our heart and that's why we drive here. We all have it in our blood.
– Everybody wants to enjoy whatever they do. If you don't enjoy it, then it's time to quit. You should be honest enough to yourself and do other things if you no longer enjoy what you are doing - just like Kimi.
– He is now happy in rally. He had b*** to do a switch like that. Of course it's difficult but there's no doubt about his talents in rally because otherwise he wouldn't be able to stay on the road at all with those cars, Vettel says.
Vettel hasn't had time for ages to challenge Räikkönen in badminton.
– Let's say that Kimi is strong in that game but I have improved during this interval.
Vettel left Turkey more gloomier than usual with his father Norbert and his personal trainer Tommi Pärmäkoski.
How much have you changed since your first F1-race?
– Deep down I believe that I'm still the same guy I was three years ago, but I've learned a lot and have become more stronger. Life is about learning all the time and gathering experience - both good and bad. That kind of growth is natural.
Do you suffer from publicity? Can you do all things you want to do?
– When you drive on F1-level you are bound to become more known due to success. It's part of this job. You learn all the time how to cope with the publicity - what you can do, what you can't do, what you can say, what you can't say. It's natural and it doesn't feel like you can't breathe.
– When I spend time with my family or friends I do all normal things like people my age do.
Vettel came to the interview with a thick beard stubble.
Has the play off -season already started?
– No. I will shave before practice, Vettel smiled.
If Vettel wins the WDC, he will be the all time youngest one winning it.
– My goal is the championship. That is most important, not whether I'm the youngest one. If that would happen then I would enjoy it sometime later when I'm old and fat, not while I'm still driving, Vettel said.
Turun Sanomat, Montreal
HEIKKI KULTA
God, I'm jealous 
