Wunderkind Vettel mature enough to win title, says team boss

Red Bull boss Christian Horner said on Thursday that German driver Sebastian Vettel is ready to win the Formula One drivers' world championship.

Horner said that last year was too early for the 22-year-old wunderkind, but that now he felt the young driver has matured enough to deal with the pressures.

"He's mature enough to take the championship," said Horner. "It was too early last year. He now has experience, know-how, he's become complete.

"He has three qualities: natural speed, intelligence, and a strong personality. And he can joke. The team adores him."

Vettel narrowly lost out in the title race to then-Brawn GP driver Briton Jenson Button, but he is now level on points with team-mate Australian Mark Webber, who leads because of back-to-back wins in Spain and Monaco.

Horner added that he does not expect Webber to roll over, but is adamant that his team will win the constructors championship despite not having the same resources as teams like McLaren and Ferrari.

Horner said: "Last year, he had already shown great consistency because from the summer onwards he was Button's most dangerous rival.

"Few are as quick as he is. His speed forces Vettel to go even quicker.

"In the scope of these regulations, we don't need a massive budget. Costs in F1 have been reduced - and we have enough money to compete at the top."