Wonderboy Vettel set to dominate again: Burning rubber

Formula One has been hit by the news that nobody outside of the superlative world-beating Red Bull team wanted to hear. Wonder boy Sebastian Vettel, twice the champion, will be even better in the upcoming season.

That, alarmingly enough for his rivals, is the scary forecast from proud owner Dietrich Mateschitz after watching the start to the pre-season warm-ups.

And the 24-year-old genius of a driver, the youngest-ever two-time title winner, agrees with his mentor.

The Austrian billionaire rejoiced in Vettel's romp to 15 pole positions and triumphs in 11 of the 19 races last season to claim his second successive world crown. And he expounds: "Sebastian still has great potential ahead of him because of his experience, his consistency and his domination in differing situations. He is another year wiser. He will be given free rein.

"His focus in qualifying last season was already part of his strength. But he is going to be even stronger in competition this year because he understands the complexities of his sport even better now."

The £10 million-a-year (Dh57.7 million-a year) German ace, who gave his all-conquering Red Bull bosses their second run out in Barcelona in midweek and dominated the times said ominously: "I am very happy with the progress we are making with the new car."

Grand Prix history maker

His ambition is to be a grand prix history-maker and link with legends Juan Fangio and Michael Schumacher as the champion three times in a row and says: "I am sure the new car can be a winner and do it all again. I'll be doing my best to make it a hat-trick of championships, but I think it is going to be very, very tight."

No less a respected authority than Sir Stirling Moss, one of the bravest and greatest ever grand prix drivers — four times runner-up and third three times but never the champion — reckons that the hugely gifted Vettel is unique and more than capable of adding his name to that exclusive elite of hat-tricksters.

He told me: "Vettel is a modern day Fangio, quite outstanding, with a natural ability which puts him above the rest. He's a truly great champion and he will do it again."