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Overtaking jibes never frustrated Vettel

Sebastian Vettel had to display his racecraft with recovery drives in Abu Dhabi and Brazil this season © Sutton Images

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• Drivers:
• Sebastian Vettel

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• Red Bull

Sebastian Vettel insists he never got annoyed by comments that he couldn't overtake during his 2011 championship year.

This season Vettel had to battle for lesser points positions during the early part of the year before finishing with drives through from the back of the field in two of the final three races. While Vettel's overtaking ability was questioned during his dominant 2011 season, he has since been praised for his recoveries that helped him clinch this year's titles but he said that the previous criticism never got to him.

"Last year obviously we always started the race from a great position and didn't have to overtake so many people," Vettel said. "Then you obviously get criticised for not overtaking people but if there's no-one to overtake...

"It's not a frustration because in the end it's like that. To win from the front or to come through the field is the same thing; you still do your best. Obviously people credit the fact that you have overtaken people, you've come through the field or whatever more than you pulling away and pulling a lead of 8.75s for example. They don't understand how much maybe it's worth to pull a gap of a second or eight seconds or 12 seconds at the time, it's always different and I'm sure if you run the race again it doesn't happen the same way twice."

Vettel added that he actually finds criticism of his driving quite funny, and expects he will receive more if he wins races comfortably next season.

"But it's the proof to yourself and the honest to yourself that's more important rather than what people write. It's actually a little bit comedy to look back now and you were the driver that's supposed to not be able to overtake and now after two or three races only people change their mind, and in the future they might change their minds again."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.