Party time for Red Bull and Vettel after double title defence

By John Bagratuni Oct 17, 2011, 8:30 GMT

Berlin - Red Bull and their world champion Sebastian Vettel ra using the time until the next Formula One race in India to celebrate repeat drivers' and constructors' title.

A week after clinching the drivers' crown again, Vettel's emphatic victory in Korea on Sunday let the champagne corks pop again at the Austrian team for the constructors' crown.

Vettel doused team principal Christian Horner in the bubbly stuff on the Korean podium, and celebrations will continue on Wednesday at the team's British headquarters of Milton Keynes, and on Saturday in Vettel's German home town of Heppenheim.

'Phenomenal. Phenomenal for the team, phenomenal for every single member of the Red Bull Racing/Red Bull Technology Group and for everyone working for Red Bull,' said Horner.

'I'm sure today was a special day for Mr. Mateschitz (Red Bull owner Dietrich Mateschitz) to see his team defend the constructors' world championship, having retained the drivers' last week.'

Red Bull lost their pole position season monopoly on Saturday when McLaren's Lewis Hamilton managed the fastest lap, but Vettel made amends quickly in the race by passing the Briton in the first lap en route to a 10th season victory. Team-mate Mark Webber came third.

'It was a world champion's drive,' said Horner in praise of Vettel. 'All credit must go to Mark Webber as well ... to retain the constructors' with a one-three finish is very special for the team.

'It's a day that every single team member and all the people associated with the team should be very proud of.'

Well aware that a driver alone doesn't win championships, Vettel also paid tribute to everyone in Milton Keynes.

'Fantastic. A very nice day today and very special for the team. Winning the constructors' means a lot. It was a phenomenal race, we had so much pace and it was so much fun out there,' Vettel said.

'It's difficult for everyone to imagine what winning the championship means for the factory. It's a boost and not just for those here at the track - it's much more than that.

'There is so much going on behind the scenes, every day of the year. It's down to the whole team to build two competitive cars and we push it to the limits on track. It was a lot of pressure off the shoulders today when I crossed the line.'

Vettel has the chance to equal Michael Schumacher's record 13 wins in one season if he wins the remaining three races, but first of all comes what is expected to be rousing welcome at home in Heppenheim.

'I am looking forward to coming home. I will drive a few laps if the weather is fine. I hope that a lot of people will come,' he said.

Fears have been raised that Red Bull and Vettel are embarking on a similar hegemony as that of Ferrari and Michael Schumacher.

However, Red Bull chief designer Adrian Newey remains cautious because 2012 will see new regulations in which the double diffuser is outlawed - a device that channels exhaust towards the rear and increases downforce.

'Banning the blown diffuser is a big change. It has a fundamental affect on the aerodynamics of the car which then knocks on through the car. It is an enormous challenge to stay at the top,' Newey was quoted as saying Britain's Daily Telegraph on Monday.

However, other teams face a similar challenge, possibly with the exception of Ferrari, whose only season win from Fernando Alonso came at the only race of the season in which there were big restrictions on the diffuser.