Vettel passes his own test

Sebastian Vettel has admitted to letting his ego get the better of him en route to securing Red Bull another title.

After just seven years in Formula One, Red Bull celebrated the rare feat of the double double - back-to-back drivers' and constructors' championships. A week after Vettel became the youngest two-time title-winner in F1 history in Japan, the team's Far East adventure continued in Korea where the 24-year-old took his 10th chequered flag of the season.

Vettel, though, could not resist, by his own admission, a moment of stupidity that could have put the celebrations on hold for another two weeks at least when he had to have fastest lap on the final lap when normally a driver would cruise across the line. "I think they will kill me now," said the German.

"On the radio they initially said 'you didn't get the fastest lap' which obviously isn't true. Then they came back on the radio and said 'idiot, you got it'.

"It's really stupid. I think in other races it doesn't really make sense, but on the last lap I had a good feeling, and yeah, I was pushing a bit harder to get the fastest lap.

"It's a small thing. It's probably more to do with the ego because there are no points, so it's really stupid from my side, but now I've got one, I'm happy."

Fortunately, Vettel's decision to go for broke did not backfire, much to the delight of team principal Christian Horner whose overuse of the word "phenomenal" to describe achievements this season is starting to become legendary.

As the man who has guided the team to the place in history, with the financial backing of billionaire energy drinks magnate Dietrich Mateschitz, Horner could allow himself to eulogise.

"Phenomenal. Phenomenal for the team, phenomenal for everyone working for Red Bull," said Horner.

"I'm very proud to lead the team, and it's a very special day also for Mr Mateschitz."