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Vettel to Make Title Decision Late in Abu Dhabi Race

“Team strategy” has become a sine-qua-non element of Formula One racing in recent weeks, and most of you know why that is. As a team (Red Bull), if you have two drivers (Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel) battling for the world title in the last race of the season, and there is a third driver (Fernando Alonso) that could profit from it, you must think strategy in order to get that crown at the finish line.

Following his win in Brazil, Sebastian Vettel has been continuously asked about team tactics and the prospect of helping his teammate Mark Webber win the world title. Sometimes he answered with irony, sometimes he avoided giving an answer. Now, however, he vowed not to think about strategy until late in the race.

Without joking, I am not thinking about it now. My first goal is pole position, my second is winning the race. And if necessary I can analyse the situation and decide very quickly,” said Vettel in an interview with Bild newspaper, during his flight to Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.

His comments actually echoed the ones made by the team's design guru Adrian Newey, who told the media that both Webber and Vettel will be given a free run to the title throughout the weekend. His hope, however, is that once it becomes obvious that one will have to help the other in order to grab the title, common sense will prevail and “magnanimity” will take over as a tri-factor.

In case Vettel wins the race this weekend and Webber takes 2nd place – repeating the situation from last year, as well as the one from Brazil – Alonso needs to finish within the Top 5 to win the title. If, however, Vettel slows down a bit and lets his teammate pass him late in the race – considering that he will run ahead of him throughout the Sunday action – that would ensure the 34-year-old Aussie his first title in career.
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