Sebastian Vettel remains unconcerned over his 19-point deficit to Lewis Hamilton in the Formula One standings.
Red Bull driver insists he can still challenge for title
Sebastian Vettel remains unconcerned over his 19-point deficit to Lewis Hamilton in the Formula One championship standings.
The German driver has often been a pacesetter in the 2010 season, taking three pole positions, but so far has only one win to his name.
Vettel was level on points with Red Bull team-mate Mark Webber at the top of the points table after the Monaco Grand Prix but back-to-back wins from Hamilton has seen the Brit charge clear.
And even though he has now slipped to fifth in the standings, Vettel insists that the situation could change very quickly under the new points system - where 25 points are available for a victory.
"It is not even half-time," said the 22-year-old said of the current campaign.
Quick change
"We have a lot of races left, and we have already seen how quickly this championship can change.
"Because of the new points system people are confused and say there is a big gap when they see a driver third, fifth or seventh in the championship, and that it is over now.
"Felipe (Massa) is not that far off (42 points), but just imagine if he wins the next two races and then we will see how much it can change.
"Look at Mark, who was a bit behind but won two races and was then the championship leader."
Challenge
Vettel believes Hamilton's recent resurgence shows that several drivers are still capable of mounting a championship challenge if they can put together a sequence of good results.
He added: "Lewis was also a bit behind and people were saying: 'Okay, it will be difficult for him to catch up', but he wins two races and he is back.
"The important thing is they were never gone, and with so many races left it can change quite quick.
"Robert (Kubica) is also not far away (36 points), and although we know the Renault is probably not the most competitive car, he has done a very good job collecting points.
"It just shows how important it is to consistently score points."
