Sebastian Vettel has defended his decision to keep a low public profile.

The German is notoriously private, as he is rarely photographed with his wife and children and has no social media profiles on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

"I just don't understand why you have to constantly tell everyone what you are doing, where you are, who you are with," the Ferrari driver told German broadcaster RTL.

"I simply don't have this need, but at the same time I don't blame people if they are constantly talking about themselves.

"I think I grew up in a generation that was quite shy of having pictures taken or seeing themselves."

The 29-year-old also thinks that the current trend of demanding 'selfies' with famous people is taking something away from more genuine human interaction.

"People come and say 'Can we take a picture' and suddenly they are gone again," he said.

"I sometimes ask what they will do with it, and often the answer is 'No idea'. The other day someone said they needed a photo to prove to his friends that he actually met me.

"I said 'You cannot be a reliable friend if they don't believe you!'

"I have to admit I get a lot more out of shaking someone's hand and then sharing the experience of meeting someone."

Vettel currently leads the drivers' championship by 12 points.