Victory dedicated to team member who lost cancer battle last week
Last Updated: September 12, 2011 12:24pm
Horner: Emotional win for Red Bull
Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner dedicated a "dream come true" Italian Grand Prix victory to a team member who lost her battle with cancer last week.
The gesture came at the end of an emotional day for Sebastian Vettel, who shed tears of joy on the podium in the wake of his eighth win of the season.
Vettel now stands 112 points clear of Ferrari's Fernando Alonso in the drivers' championship and the 24-year-old is also on the brink of usurping the Spaniard as the sport's youngest ever double world champion.
"To win in Monza is a dream come true, and it was a really dominant performance by Sebastian," said Horner, whose team are also 126 points ahead of McLaren in their bid for a second straight constructors' crown.
"It was a great day for the team and a phenomenal result at a track which, on paper, wasn't supposed to be our best.
"Very sadly though, we lost a team member earlier in the week, Erin Pezzella, a young lady who has been with the team for four years.
"She lost a very brave fight against cancer and we would like to dedicate this result in her memory."
Vettel's win came despite losing the lead to Alonso at the lights - the German soon taking the lead back, however, after a breathtaking move around the outside of his rival's Ferrari at Curva Grande. From that moment on he was untroubled.
Unbelievable
He lost control of his emotions during the podium ceremony at the scene of his first grand prix victory when driving for Toro Rosso in 2008.
"I thought, looking at the grandstands and seeing so many people - ignoring the colour of their shirt - life doesn't get much better than this," said Vettel.
"This circuit means a lot to me. It is very special as I got my first win here, so when I crossed the line I remembered every single bit of that.
"And then the podium, that is unbelievable. When you stand up there you feel so blessed. It doesn't happen to many people.
"The only thing that could make it a little bit better is if you are wearing a red suit."
Although contracted to Red Bull through to 2014, that was a clear indicator of what could lie ahead in the future.
"We will see what happens, but for now I am very, very happy," added Vettel.
Credit: Sky Sports (www.skysports.com)
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