"It is great, I think, what the people did here in a short amount of time. We heard about it a couple of years ago but to put up this arena is incredible. I am very proud to be the first winner here in India. I think it is a very impressive country, very different to what we probably know from Europe, but very inspiring. If you keep your eyes and ears open, I think you are able to learn a lot, the way the people handle things here," the German Red Bull driver said.
"It is a big country, a lot of people, but sometimes it looks very different, but they get along with it and they are very happy here. They enjoy life and in the end that's what it is all about. If your life comes to an end, it is more the thoughts, the emotions, the friends, the friendships you take with you rather than whatever you have in your bank account. Even (if) the people have so little here, I think in a way they are much richer than a lot of people back in Europe. There is a lot we can learn."
Talking about the time he spent in India, Vettel said: "Obviously I haven't spent a lot of time here, so I can't judge as well as people from India, but it was very inspiring when I had a bit of time to spend in the country. I went to see the Taj Mahal which is obviously a touristy thing to do but driving there by car, and not falling asleep because the roads were pretty... it was a good adventure, let's say.
"Keeping your eyes open, there are a lot of things which make you appreciate a lot of things much more than you probably do. Yeah, it opens your eyes, as long as you allow yourself to look at certain things, so I think it was an inspiration and something that you should never forget."
Vettel also tried his hand at Hindi, cheekily saying: "Dhanyawaad... aapki aankhein bahut khoobsurat hain (thank you, your eyes are beautiful). Obviously that's for the ladies of India. You know the girls, to all the girls in India, you have beautiful women in this country. They have beautiful eyes." Second-placed finisher Jenson Button of McLaren added "beautiful smiles" to this quip, and complimented the Indian public. "I think we need to say a big congratulations to the Indian people for their efforts on building this circuit because the circuit itself is, I think in years to come, we are going to think of it as one of the greats. It is a very special circuit and I really, really enjoy driving around here. I hope we put on a good show and it is also great to see the excitement in the crowd. The people that are here, as there are quite a few people here, they are really getting into the mood and really getting into the action and it is good to see, really good to see, so a very special weekend and thank you to them," the Briton said.
Seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher of Mercedes GP offered praise for the organisers: "To the organisers of the first Indian Grand Prix, I would like to send a big compliment; I'm sure that I am not the only one to say that this was a very positive debut." The other drivers unanimously praised the Buddh International Circuit and the event, and Vettel can't wait to get back here. "All in all, it was great to be here, a great circuit, which obviously - speaking about our job, about racing, that's what we judge most, the circuit is fantastic to drive. There are some great corners which we usually enjoy a lot, because it allows us to put the cars on the limit. This will be one of the races that settles in very quickly and we will all be happy to come back. Even though there has only been one race so far, I'm already looking forward to next year," he said.
Sebastian Vettel says 'don't want this to end'
"I think we can continue," Vettel beamed later. "The car is fantastic and the team is enjoying it. We are on a run since the beginning of the season. We enjoy every race. The great thing is when you walk in the garage every morning, they are flat out and pushing very hard. It's really enjoyable to see that knowing what we have achieved, we are still hungry, not lacking motivation. People come with questions but we come back with the right answers, so we don't want this to end," he added.
Vettel files
* From his 79th start, the German won for the 21st time. This is also his 11th win of the season, matching former champion Michael Schumacher's 2002 season record. Only Schumacher's 2004 season was more successful in F1 history with 13 wins.
* Grabbed another record at the end of lap 42, surpassing Nigel Mansell's 1992 record for most laps led in a season, leading his 693rd lap in 2011. At the end of lap 49, Vettel became the first driver in history to lead 700 laps in
one year.
* Set the first grand slam of his career today (win/pole/fastest lap/led every lap). It is only the second grand slam in the last seven years. He is also the youngest man to set a grand slam.
Sebastian Vettel says 'don't want this to end'
"I think we can continue," Vettel beamed later. "The car is fantastic and the team is enjoying it. We are on a run since the beginning of the season. We enjoy every race. The great thing is when you walk in the garage every morning, they are flat out and pushing very hard. It's really enjoyable to see that knowing what we have achieved, we are still hungry, not lacking motivation. People come with questions but we come back with the right answers, so we don't want this to end," he added.
Vettel files
* From his 79th start, the German won for the 21st time. This is also his 11th win of the season, matching former champion Michael Schumacher's 2002 season record. Only Schumacher's 2004 season was more successful in F1 history with 13 wins.
* Grabbed another record at the end of lap 42, surpassing Nigel Mansell's 1992 record for most laps led in a season, leading his 693rd lap in 2011. At the end of lap 49, Vettel became the first driver in history to lead 700 laps in
one year.
* Set the first grand slam of his career today (win/pole/fastest lap/led every lap). It is only the second grand slam in the last seven years. He is also the youngest man to set a grand slam.
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