Sebastian Vettel even further ahead

Sebastian Vettel raced away with the lead winning six out of his first eight races [GALLO/GETTY]

The McLaren team and Jenson Button were celebrating their victory at the Hungarian Grand Prix on Sunday but anyone looking at the bigger picture will see that Sebastian Vettel is still racing away with the title.

The Red Bull of Vettel was overtaken by both McLarens at the Hungaroring but the reigning champion has crucially ended up with an even bigger lead in a Formula One championship after finishing second.

Vettel is out of the reach of most rivals and after Hungary leads teammate Mark Webber by a massive 85 points.

McLaren driver and race winner Button is a monumental 100 points behind Vettel.

And things don’t get better for McLaren in the constructors’ championship, they currently trail Red Bull by 103 points.  

Although it was nice to see Jenson Button seal victory on his 200th race, McLaren have much to do during the mid-season break after falling so far behind. 

World champion Vettel has been far and away the most consistent driver of 2011, starting with an incredible six victories out of his first eight races.

Although Vettel has been beaten in the last three races few doubt he will come back fighting even harder after the break.

In fact, break may not be the right word for the Red Bull camp with Vettel demanding improvements from his team after their recent slump.

“Today I’m not 100 percent happy because I started from pole and had the feeling we could win the race,” he told reporters.

“I think second today is an important step although the win was in reach today, but we couldn’t get it.”

“There was a chance and we didn’t use it, so we have to look into that.”

It sounds like there will be little rest for the Red Bull team over the next few weeks.

Unfair criticism

Despite bursting onto the scenes with Red Bull racing in 2009 and winning his team the championship in his second year of trying, Vettel’s driving skills still remain under scrutiny.

With a fourth placed finish at the German Grand Prix the lowest Vettel has finished this season, these criticisms seem harsh. 

Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton rustle up the odd win for their team but there has been a lack of consistency from the McLaren camp.

While a top three place for Button is celebrated as a great result, anything but victory for Vettel is not good enough.

Button celebrates with the team after winning his 200th Grand Prix [GALLO/GETTY]

This shows the exceptional level Red Bull is operating at.  

With eight races to come after a month’s break, it would be astonishing if 24-year-old Vettel did not clinch his second successive title well before the end of the season.

Increased competition from McLaren and Ferrari are one reason for the recent ‘blip’ and Vettel is being as hard on his team as on himself to try to find some answers and make sure the end of the season does not turn into a nervous nailbiter.

“Ferrari and McLaren in the last two races have made a step forward, we need to see why. There are things we can improve without looking at the others,” he said.

Vettel should indeed be wary of his chasing competition, however, after the first half of the season he deserves to give himself a pat on the back. 

Vettel deserves the break.