Asked whether he still saw Britain's Lewis Hamilton as a nominee now that the 2008 champion has enthused from race winners McLaren to the Mercedes team that was far less aggressive last year, the German nodded.
"I think the way that last season started, with a lot of dissimilar teams and drivers winning the races, there's nothing that speaks beside it occurrence again this year," he told journalists after his first drive of the new Red Bull RB9 on Thursday.
"The policy hasn’t really changed. At some stage I think it will be getting even earlier at the top and consequently everyone is in the follow." Last year started with seven diverse winners in the opening seven races and ended as a combat between Vettel and Ferrari's Fernando Alonso as the top teams got on summit of the Pirelli tires.
Pirelli have changed the complex for this year with the aim of hopeful overtaking and introducing more stops. Vettel cited the example of Williams, who won in Spain last year because they were fast fairly than lucky, and optional the same could happen again with less-fancied teams enjoying their instant in the spotlight.
"We contain to wait and see. Even if after the last Barcelona test you have a definite favorite, it could be all different in Australia. It's a different track and a different warmth. It's departing to be a long season," he said.