Greater Noida: Sebastian Vettel is a man whom peers are already calling a legend in F1. Having won his fourth straight championship here on Sunday, Vettel thanked his fans and rued the fact that there will be no Indian GP next year.

He spoke at the Buddh International Circuit after the race on Sunday about what the great job his team Red Bull has done, and sounded modest about his achievement, saying it can just be a number.

Excerpts:

Your feelings after this triumph…

First of all, I would love to say thank you to the crowd… Unbelievable reception today (Sunday). It’s a shame we are not racing here next year.

I’m absolutely speechless. When I crossed the line… I was empty. It was one of those moments when you wish to say so many things but you can’t.

The spirit inside the team is so strong that… it’s a pleasure to jump in the car and go out for the guys and just try to give it all I have. The car was phenomenal today (Sunday). It was phenomenal throughout the season to be honest. I couldn’t ask for more.

Is it the most emotional day for you?

In a way, we saw this one (the victory) coming. Yes, I was very nervous before the race. Usually, the last hour of my sleep from Saturday to Sunday is quite poor, because I’m always looking forward to the race… this time, finally I said to myself I don’t care. I would go there and I’ll have some fun.

Would you like to come to India as a tourist in the off season?

There’s not enough time in the off-season, to be honest. It’s a very busy schedule. …I might get some time for myself at Christmas. And then we start very soon in January.

This season seemed easy for you. Your views?

Well, for sure it was not an easy season, even if people from outside get the idea that we had it in our hands for quite a while. But I think it was a difficult one for me personally… to be booed, even though you haven’t done anything wrong, to overcome that and to give the right answer on the track and finally get the acceptance.

It makes me very proud to join people like (Alain) Prost, (Juan Manuel) Fangio and Michael (Schumacher).

You kneeled and kissed the car after the victory…

It’s just an appreciation for the car, for the team. It’s pretty special. Mark (Webber) had a problem with the alternator like last year. Out of precaution, I wasn’t allowed to use the drinks bottle in the race… we switched the KERS off. We did everything to try and save energy at the end. I’m not selfish… I’m not taking all the credit myself.

As you stand here away from your racing car, how do you feel?

I miss it. How do I feel? I’m overwhelmed. I don’t know what to say. I think it’s one of the best days of my life so far. It was incredible to race against some of the best drivers in the world that F1 ever had.

You were booed in Singapore by Ferrari fans…

Yes, but I’m not blaming the Ferrari fans. I don’t blame the people who booed. In fact, one guy from Singapore wrote a letter to me and apologized for booing. It happened at the heat of the moment… I don’t really blame anyone for it.

People call you boring….

I don’t blame people. At times it hurts because you don’t deserve that. They may be Ferrari or McLaren fans. I think the most important thing for me is to get the respect from people that I know and people that I race against. I feel respected amongst the drivers.

You are now part of team of legends….Fangio, Schumacher, Prost, Vettel….

It’s very difficult to say so. When Fernando (Alonso) started to win races I was only watching them on TV. Now, I’m racing against him… he’s been my toughest opponent for the last couple of years.

“I think he’s extremely talented. Then we have Lewis (Hamilton), who I think has an amazing level of natural talent… then Mark (Webber), Nico (Rosberg). I have won four titles but it could just be a number… Fangio was great in his time and then we saw Michael. It’s difficult to compare…

Are you planning to name your 2014 car with an India angle…

Don’t get me wrong, I am bad with Indian names. Yesterday, there were a couple of guests we had from the team and I signed some autographs for them and found it difficult to spell their names… I looked like an idiot (laughs). I really struggled.

Did you talk to people at home after the victory…

Yes, with my parents and my brother. They said congratulations. I said that I loved them very much…. It was very difficult to find the right words.

Have you already realised what has happened today (Sunday), being the youngest ever four-times F1 world champion?

To be honest not quite yet. It is not easy to sort all the feelings and to find the right words. It was a big honour to cross the finish line and there are so many words that you want to say at the same time…

It feels so very good also. I am very happy! For some people it may have looked easier than maybe any of the previous titles, because we had an advance, but also this title feels equally amazing. For us there was never the luxury of leaning back just because we might know how to win a title.