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The points gap looks worse than it is - Vettel

ESPNF1 Staff
September 21, 2010 « Singapore flattens circuit's bumps | »
Sebastian Vettel: "Whether it's 24, 25 or 30, it doesn't matter" © Getty Images
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Sebastian Vettel insists that his 24 point deficit in the drivers' championship to Red Bull team-mate Mark Webber is not as bad as it looks.

After a missed opportunity in Hungary and a crash in Belgium, Vettel has dropped to fifth in the standings amid suggestions that he should now back Webber's title charge. But Vettel reckons under the old points system, which rewarded less points for each finishing position, nobody would be writing him off.

"Whether it's 24, 25 or 30, it doesn't matter," Vettel told Bild am Sonntag. "The new points system worries people more than it should. Now there are 25 points for a win, so under the familiar [old] system, I'd only be 8 or 9 points behind. Then it would seem much less dramatic."

He said he still had full confidence in his ability to win the championship over the remaining five races.

"We are not panicking, we are quietly doing our work," he said. "I believe in the title - that is the most important thing. It will be very close in the finale, but I'm optimistic."

Speaking about the upcoming Singapore Grand Prix, Webber said he expects Red Bull to be quick on a circuit that should suit the RB6.

"It's a high down-force street circuit that should suit our car," the championship leader said. "It's got some similarities to Monaco and Budapest and we did well at both those circuits, so I'm hoping for a strong result. We've yet to experience any wet running on a flood-lit track, so it will be interesting if that happens."

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