Team owner Dietrich Mateschitz is ready to celebrate Sebastian Vettel’s second consecutive world championship for Red Bull.
The German driver still has to achieve at least a tenth place at one of the remaining five races in 2011.
But given his nine wins and more than 300 points so far, an interviewer for Austria’s Kleine Zeitung told billionaire Mateschitz that it is impossible that the title will slip away from Vettel.
"Basically you are right, of course," Mateschitz responded, before laughing: "But what if he falls off a ladder?"
The interviewer told Mateschitz that, even if the 24-year-old broke a leg, McLaren’s Jenson Button would then have to win every remaining grand prix to take Vettel’s title.
So Red Bull must surely now be focused on 2012?
"In a way, yes," confirmed Mateschitz, "but there are not great changes in the regulations (for 2012) so we will continue to develop as much as possible until the last race."