“Better too early than never.”

Sebastian Vettel is 19 and a racecar driver. In his first appearance as a Friday test driver in Istanbul, he found his name at the first place spot in the results list, and this happened again in his second appearance in Imola. In interview, the German Red Bull Junior talks about his plans, dreams and “baking smaller bread”.

Has your life changed significantly since you became a Formula 1 pilot?

I am a little bit more on the go and collect more frequent flyer miles. But I am not yet recognized everywhere and asked by fans for my autograph. I can still play soccer or go to the movies with my friends on race-free weekends.

From Formula 3 to Formula 1: was that jump in your career plan supposed to happen this year?

No. Mainly because I don’t have any career plan. So much can happen in sports that you actually shouldn’t think too far into the future. I am surprised myself that it happened so quickly, but to be totally honest: it’s better too early than never.

After all it seems as if your Formula 1 debut wasn’t too early. In your first appearance as a test driver you nailed the fastest lap on the course in Istanbul.

Before Istanbul I had the opportunity to properly test a Formula 1 car only once. That’s why the switch to the more powerful engine took a few minutes – but then after a few laps it started to get really fun.

And it must have been fun to see your name in first place on the results list?

Of course, that topped it all off, but the really important thing was that I was able to test out the final details of the fine-tuning for both main drivers.

For a 19-year-old, you sound very composed and professional. Weren’t you at all nervous before your first run as a Formula 1 pilot?

Of course I was a bit nervous. But my responsibilities were already discussed with the team and I knew exactly what I had to do. I carried out the schedule without a glitch, and that helped me to shed my nervousness.

Has for you, as they say, a dream been fulfilled?

Yeah, one can put it that way. Every younger racecar driver dreams of one day getting the chance to be in a Formula 1 cockpit. I got this chance.

Do you already know in which racing series you will be driving next year? Formula 1? GP2?

It is still a little early, there will certainly be some discussions in the next two months with my team and my sponsors. At the moment, the focus is still fully and totally on Formula 3. I am second in the overall ranking and would like to become first.

Doesn’t a Formula 3 car feel incredibly slow, if you have already driven Formula 1?

In the first rounds you are thinking: what is wrong with this? But then you quickly get used to the car again. It is simply just a different kind of fun.

If you became Formula 1 World Champion by 2010, you would also be the youngest World Champion of all time.

Is that so? I didn’t even think about that. I would be happy just to be able to race some time in the Formula 1.

Why this understatement? You are already being talked about as a potential successor of Schumacher.

In racing, you have to be able to bake smaller bread. I think in small steps: I am now a test driver, next I would like to drive once in a race and then regularly drive in races. We can talk about everything else later.

Isn’t your secret goal to be the Formula 1 World Champion?

Yes, of course.