Sutil Says Vettel Will Be Stronger in 2011

Sebastian Vettel will come out a stronger driver in 2010, as he will no longer feel the pressure of having to become world champion. This is the opinion of his fellow countryman Adrian Sutil, who has recently signed an extension to his Force India deal for the upcoming season.

According to Sutil, the Red Bull racer will be more relaxed through the next campaign, having already bagged a world title. And that will help him control the qualifying pace easily than before, despite having a world-class “qualifier” as a teammate, namely Mark Webber.

“Last year, Sebastian was very strong in qualifying against the supposed qualifying-specialist (Mark) Webber. Now, all the pressure is gone. After he was runner-up in 2009, everyone expected so much from him (in 2010) because the car was so strong,” said Sutil in a recent interview with Germany's Sport Bild.

“I expect him to move on now. He will be more relaxed and even better with a title in the bag,” he added.

Nevertheless, Sutil still believes that Lewis Hamilton will be the top contender for the F1 title in 2010. Talking to the media earlier this week, he admitted he sees his good friend a tough nut to crack in 2011, although some specialists still argue Red Bull will be the team to beat this year.

Some indication of how the season is going to go down through 2011 will be provided next month, when no less than 3 group tests (11 days) are scheduled to take place in Spain – Valencia, Jerez and Barcelona. However, the early form of some teams might not mean a whole lot right now, according to former Grand Prix winner Gerhard Berger.

“A car that is fast now will stay fast for the season,” he said recently.