Second-place Vettel says more is possible

Tthe German is not satisified with second in Hungary and is asking his Red Bull Racing team to step up to meet the renewed challenges presented by McLaren-Mercedes and Ferrari.

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BUDAPEST // Sebastian Vettel extended his lead at the top of the drivers' standings yesterday by finishing second behind Jenson Button at the Hungarian Grand Prix. Yet such is the determination of the 24-year-old German, he revealed he was "not satisfied".

The Red Bull Racing driver, who became the youngest world champion in Formula One history by winning in Abu Dhabi last year, leads the championship by 85 points and did well to recover at the Hungaroring after a series of slips and slides saw him sacrifice pole position by the end of the third lap.

But he is not content.

"It was a very turbulent race and in some phases it didn't look good at all, so I can definitely live with P2, even if I have to say - and it shouldn't sound too snotty - that the aim clearly has to be to win," Vettel said. "Second is an important step, but nothing compares to a win.

"To be honest, I am not really satisfied with [the] result, as I believe the victory wasn't out of reach.

"Probably, we had some issues here and there and have not been the fastest on the track, but I still think that more would have been possible."

Fernando Alonso, the Ferrari driver who finished 19.8 seconds off the lead in third, said that while he is delighted with his recent performances - he has graced the podium now for four consecutive races - he is looking forward to getting even stronger after the midseason break.

"We are confident we can do a good second part of the championship," the Spaniard said. "We have been fighting a lot for podiums and pole positions in the last few races, and July was a fantastic month for us.

"Unfortunately, it was not very hot in July and we love high temperatures, for whatever reason, in our car, so hopefully August and September will be better for us."

August sees the F1 fraternity travel to Belgium. September features Italy and Singapore.