• Brazilian Grand Prix

Third title 'unbelievable' - Vettel

Sebastian Vettel became only the third driver to win three consecutive championships © Sutton Images

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• News:
• 'It couldn't have been more stressful' - Horner
  
• Report:
• Vettel secures third title in epic season finale
  

• Race:
• Brazilian Grand Prix

• Drivers:
• Sebastian Vettel

• Teams:
• Red Bull

Sebastian Vettel said it was "unbelievable" to be told he had won a third consecutive drivers' title at the end of the Brazilian Grand Prix.

A chaotic and dramatic race saw Fernando Alonso finish second; meaning Vettel had to finish in the top eight to retain his championship. He eventually recovered from a first-lap spin that left him at the back of the field to finish sixth, and he said that "everything that could go wrong went wrong" but that he didn't get confirmation his finishing position would be enough until he crossed the finish line.

"It's very difficult to find the right words, especially after the race today," Vettel said. "I think that everything that could go wrong went wrong and as a matter of a fact we always kept believing instead of getting angry and frustrated about the situation. Imagine yourself; you are the wrong way around at turn four; I had a lot of cars coming and I was in the wrong way. Then I went off the brakes because everyone is going in this direction so to join them I tried to roll downhill and avoid cars driving backwards!

"We kept the car damage to a limit, but obviously we could see in the dry conditions later on that the pace wasn't there and I was really slow down the straights which made it very easy for others to pass us and very difficult for us to pass someone. Then we lost radio, did the pit stop probably at the wrong time because I put on a set of drys and a lap later it started to rain, I came in and the inters weren't ready because I had no radio communication - the team couldn't hear me.

"Then we caught back up in the intermediate conditions. Fortunately the pace was there because you can make up the lack of car pace that you have by driving a different line and trying to do something different to others. Then to limp home under the safety car, at that moment I didn't know if it was enough. I was told a couple of laps before it should be fine but then I don't know ... then to get told was unbelievable. Unfortunately the guys couldn't hear my answer because the radio was broken!"

When asked what the third consecutive title meant to him, Vettel replied: "Correct me if I'm wrong but there are only two others who have done that before.

"You need to be in the right place at the right time, but I also believe that you can create your own luck and work for what is coming up. One of the great things about Formula One is - not only yourself - but you can compare your time, your era as you may say to 10, 20, 30, 40 years ago.

"You do this job not because you really care what is written on the cheque you get at the end of the month, you do this job because you just love Formula One, you love motorsport, you love the excitement here."

Vettel also paid tribute to his Red Bull team and the way it had approached the whole season following a dominant campaign in 2011.

"It was unbelievable but the most important thing throughout the season - I think it was the toughest we had - is that we always kept believing and we remained ourselves. Obviously I don't need to tell you; a lot of people tried to play dirty tricks and certain things that are - at least from our point of view - beyond the limit. We never got irritated, distracted by that, we kept going our way and all the guys in Milton Keynes, here at the circuit, a big, big push until the end."

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