Squeaky Red Bull starlet Sebastian Vettel has said that he is more than happy that his fellow German and seven-time champion Michael Schumacher has returned for 2010, as it has helped to deflect attention away from his own title ambitions.
Vettel was coined the "new Schumacher" in 2009 after his coming-of-age year. Despite still showing the ability to crash rather stupidly every now and again, Vettel scored the Red Bull team their first win in China, and won three more races as he finally finished second in the championship.
But although he ended 2009 as one of the most talked-about drivers in the paddock, he has been rather overshadowed ahead of the start of the 2010 season in Bahrain this weekend by the return of Schumacher.
But Vettel has insisted in a lengthy interview with the Guardian newspaper that he is happy to cede the limelight to his countryman for the moment, joking that "some old German guy" is now the focus of his home nation's F1 media.
"You might think I'd get more attention this year," Vettel mused, "But there has actually been less focus on me. This is all because some old German guy decided to come back. He is keeping all the German writers very busy and that's good for me. I take my hat off to the old guy."
He added that he was hopeful for a calmer 2010 season away from the track, saying that the frontrunning teams look close enough to put on a great show, providing F1's ever-present politics don't overshadow the action.
"This season we might get lucky and talk about the racing rather than politics or business," he muttered, "We've got Ferrari, McLaren, Mercedes and Red Bull. That's four teams and eight drivers.
"At the moment it's difficult to know who is at the top. One of us will finish first and one of us will finish eighth – with six others between."
Vettel also said that his own relationship with his team mate Mark Webber was fine, saying that the pair are fierce on-track rivals but generally get along well away from the racing.
Pointing out that the other three big teams have potentially fractious driver pairings, he claimed that: "I think the most spectacular combination is me and Mark because everyone knows we don't have a problem.
"Of course I want to beat him every time, and he wants to beat me, but we get along well."
The pairing didn't get off to a great start, with Vettel crashing into Webber and causing him to lose a probable podium at the Japanese Grand Prix in 2007, back when he was racing for Toro Rosso. But although that led the Aussie driver to rant "It's kids – they fuck it all up" after the race, Vettel insists that since then their relationship has been good.
"You know Mark," Vettel smiled when asked about the Japan crash, "He is not afraid of saying what he thinks. So after that crash in Japan he was direct. He was angry and I was angry but, afterwards, I was sorry. We've never had a problem since."
As to his own title chances, despite being tipped to take the crown in 2010 by many over the winter, Vettel insisted that he wasn't taking anything for granted.
"All these nice people saying I'm going to be world champion won't make me any faster," he shrugged, "You have to believe it yourself."
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