Vettel crushes rivals amid more booing in Singapore

Sep.22 (GMM) Sebastian Vettel crushed his rivals on Sunday and tightened his grip on a fourth consecutive world championship -- to yet another sea of boos.

After facing the jeering disapproval of the fans in Britain, Belgium and Monza, and also in Malaysia as the 'multi-21' affair began, spectators under the Singapore floodlights on Sunday also booed the German on the podium.

"Please don't do that -- that's not correct," said podium interviewer and former Grand Prix driver Martin Brundle, who was interviewing Red Bull's Vettel amid the latest booing.

Vettel joked: "They (the booing fans) are on a tour. They go round on a bus."

Jokes aside, the booing raises some interesting questions. Are the fans tired of seeing Sebastian Vettel so easily win? Do they simply want the 26-year-old's four-year run of title success to stop?

Do they just not like him?

"Some people like what we do, others do not," Vettel said on British television Sky.

"If some of them boo, I take is as a compliment, they're jealous," he smiled, "because we are winning in front of whoever they are supporting.

"I think it's not worth thinking about -- in the end we love winning."

Triple world champion and Mercedes chairman Niki Lauda, however, joined Brundle in making clear his disappointment at the fans' recent behaviour.

"Ridiculous!" said the great Austrian after Sunday's Singapore Grand Prix. "I can only take my hat off to him, for me he's outstanding," said Lauda, revealing his scarred scalp in a rare gesture of respect.

"These people don't understand what this sport is about -- you have to have respect for what he's doing. If I could choose, I would give him the championship today," he insisted.