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“You’re having fun with the car but there are lots of differences”: Sebastian Vettel is willing to take part in more off-road racing ventures after an eventful Race of Champions outing in Sweden

Somin Bhattacharjee
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"The new Champion of Champions!": Sebastian Vettel loses to Sebastien Loeb in the finals of the 2022 Race of Champions

Sebastian Vettel lost the Champion of Champions clash against Sebastien Loeb but leaves Sweden with a new found love for off-road racing. 

Vettel’s outing in Pite Havsbad for the 2022 RoC was eventful to say the least. He partnered up with Mick Schumacher for Germany, but had a disastrous run in the team outing on Saturday. He even lost to e-sports driver Lucas Blakely in one of the heats.

In the end, team Germany scraped past the eROC All Stars team, but fell to the American duo of Colton Herta and Jimmie Johnson. Vettel’s fortunes turned around on Sunday when the individual event kicked off.

The Aston Martin driver defeated Emma Kimilainen, Colton Herta and Tom Kristensen to set up a bout against WRC legend Sebastien Loeb in the finals. However, he lost out to Loeb, 3-1 in what was a thoroughly one-sided affair.

Despite leaving the snowy track without winning the trophy, Vettel admitted that the idea of off-road racing has him intrigued. He acknowledges the fact that he has a lot of ‘catching up’ to do. But, he is open to trying out similar racing ventures in the future.

Also read: Sebastian Vettel loses to Sebastien Loeb in the finals of the 2022 Race of Champions

Sebastian Vettel needs time and experience to properly adjust to off-road racing

Vettel revealed that he was involved in learning a lot about how to handle a car in off-road conditions throughout his time in Sweden. One stark difference he pointed out, was the fact that in races like this, drivers have more opportunities to make up for the mistakes they make.

“I always enjoyed watching what they are doing,” said Vettel. “It is a different discipline so you’re still having fun with a car. But it’s just there are a lot of differences.”

“Very much like Formula 1 or in any category, there’s a lot of work behind the scenes. Doing your pace notes and getting all the information you can. The same with us preparing the race and the analysis after.”

“You need the time and experience but if somebody is willing to give me a shot and a chance and has a lot of time, I’m happy to look at it. I think it’s something that is as a driver very satisfying, to play with the car and to have more margin.”

“Normally when the car steps out you correct it immediately and you’ve lost a bit of time. Here I think there’s much more grey. You are sideways, maybe the timing’s a little bit off but you can correct it,” the four-time F1 Champion concluded.

Also read: Throwback to when Kimi Raikkonen got drunk and couldn’t stop hugging Sebastian Vettel at the 2018 FIA Prize giving ceremony

About the author

Somin Bhattacharjee

Somin Bhattacharjee

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Formula 1 Editor Somin Bhattacharjee fell for the sport as well as Fernando Alonso on the same day — during the Spaniard’s thrilling victory at the German GP in 2010. Over the years, the passion magnified manyfold, and metamorphosed into a writing career in 2021. Though holding a bachelor's degree in marketing, Somin discovered his true calling in writing. He has penned over 2,700 articles for TheSportsRush, presenting a diverse range — news reports, opinions, and exclusives. A true Tiffosi, Somin never gives up on a chance to defend the Ferrari boys as a fan. As a sports writer though, he remains objective to the core and relishes opportunities to follow and engage in dissecting the action during races. That’s where the real thrill lies for him. Beyond the racetrack, Somin plays different sports including soccer. He enjoys exploring other sporting events and proudly supports Spanish soccer club Real Madrid.

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