• Brazilian Grand Prix - Red Bull

Record doesn't compare with Ascari's - Vettel

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Sebastian Vettel says Alberto Ascari's record of nine consecutive victories is still special, despite equalling it at the Brazilian Grand Prix this weekend.

His victory at Interlagos rounded off an unprecedented run of victories at the end of a season and he also matched Michael Schumacher's record of 13 wins in a single season. Ascari's record is split over two seasons - 1952 and 1953 - but Vettel managed to take his nine victories by winning every race since the summer break.

However, Vettel said his nine races do not compare with Ascari's and that he would probably only realise the scale of his achievement later in life.

"I think it is very, very difficult for me to realise probably now and in the next couple of weeks what we have achieved again, and in particular this year at the end of the season," he said. "I think in terms of a certain record with Alberto Ascari you can't really compare it, it's at a completely different time.

"If you consider the fact that in the fifties the races were much longer and there were a lot of things that were breaking down, much more than nowadays where it's very professional, reliability is exceptionally good for everybody. I think his record still stands out a lot. So at the end of the day, as I see it now, it's just a number but hopefully one day, when I've got less hair and chubby then it's probably something nice to look back to."

Alberto Ascari's record on nine consecutive victories has stood since 1953 © Getty Images

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Vettel won the Brazilian Grand Prix at a canter despite a 13 second pit stop, which the team called him in for at the last minute in anticipation of a safety car being deployed following a clash between Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas. He also lost and regained the lead on the first lap and had to deal with the threat of rain late in the race.

"Today it was a very interesting race and I was able to come back and take the lead at the end of the first lap and build a gap, which was nice," he said. "At the second stop I was waiting for my front right, I think there was a little bit of confusion because we had all the cars coming in at the same time with Mark [Webber] behind. Obviously at the end it was very difficult with the rain because you could see the fog was coming and it was very difficult to judge."

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