Greater Noida: Four consecutive Drivers’ Championships... Three in a row at the Buddh International Circuit (BIC)... Tenth victory of the year...

It was much too overwhelming for Sebastian Vettel, who got so carried away after winning the Indian GP that he forgot he’d actually left his Renault-powered Red Bull car on the track!

The stewards, however, appreciated the significance of Vettel’s achievement (becoming only the third driver to win the Championship four times on the trot) and merely reprimanded him.

Besides, the team was fined Euro 25,000.

That wouldn’t have caused much consternation on a day Red Bull Racing also made it an impressive four in a row, for the Constructors’ Championship.

In fact, the stewards’ hearing lasted less than 10 minutes, where they “accepted” Vettel’s explanation for spinning his car on the track and leaving it there instead of heading to the parc ferme in the paddock.

Drivers have been known to spin their cars on the track (or make a doughnut), after winning, but nobody could recall an instance where the winner left it right in the middle of the track.

But such was Vettel’s connect with the 50,000 or thereabouts crowd, that many felt his spontaneous show of emotion shouldn’t have been penalised.

An understandable sentiment, but there are rules and regulations.

After the hearing, Vettel took the track side door (instead of the main entrance to the stewards’ building) and sprinted to the Red Bull paddock for a third round of hugs and backslapping.

Richly deserved, no doubt.

Round one had been immediately after Vettel’s hat-trick at the BIC and the next was during the group photograph with his engineers and technicians.

Both before and after the hearing, Vettel, who confessed to having been nervous before the race, spoke to The Telegraph.

Excerpts...

Q Who are you dedicating this win to?

A My family (parents Norbert and Heike, sisters Steffi and Melanie, younger brother Fabian).

[Vettel took a call from his parents and Fabian immediately after the presentation ceremony.]

Don’t they ever travel with you?

Sometimes... They were there in Monaco, I think.

Have you found the time to speak to (girlfriend) Hannah?

(Smiles) I have, yes.

So, what did she tell you?

Congratulated me... The usual things. She sounded delighted with the day’s result.

Is Hannah the most important person in your life?

What do you think? She is, for sure.

You’ve known Hannah for years. What about marriage?

We’ll think about it... Let this (fourth title euphoria) settle down... It’s an emotional time now and will be so for some days.

Lastly... What’s the next challenge?

The next race, in Abu Dhabi, next Sunday.

Typical of a champion whose feet never leave the ground, except when he’s jumping up and down to celebrate a victory.

This year alone, Vettel has had six consecutively.

Meanwhile, it’s interesting that while Vettel’s parents stay in Heppenheim, near Frankfurt, he himself resides in Ellighausen, which is around an hour’s drive from Zurich, close to the Swiss-German border.