Current Sebastian Vettel

Lots of threads have alluded to having a discussion about the current world champion so lets get it all off our collective chests (oooeer!)

Lots has been has been written about this young man from his testing debut with BMW Sauber in 2006 aged just 19 - he then progressed to the the toro rosso team for his first full race season in 2008 - the memorable race being his drive in the wet at Fuji where he managed to rear end his future team mate Mark Webber who said ""It's kids isn't it... kids with not enough experience – they do a good job and then they **** it all up." - Little was Mark to know he would be paired with the "Kid" just 2 years later.

His maiden win came at the 2008 Italian GP where he qualified up from, the race started under the safety car in the rain and the young German led from start to finish in the Toro Rosso - becoming the youngest winner of a grand prix ever.

Then we enter the era of the Red Bull. In 2009 he joined the Red Bull team, which got off to a torrid start as he managed to crash into Kubika in Australia, a feat he would go on to repeat during the 09 season.

Last year needs no mention........

So to the crux of the matter. Is Sebastian Vettel?

the real deal, the baby schumi, the new pretender - a genuine racer? - aka Wunderkind

or

A very quick driver, who lucked into a very fast car and can bang it on pole and lead from lights to flag and be the quickest pilot of a car, yet can't overtake for toffee? aka WunOrAother

 

[RayInTorontoCanada]

Brawn on Vettel:

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/95260

 

[Vortex]

I get the feeling Vettel prefers the numbers and would rather chase records, but we’ll see.

 

[teabagyokel]

"I have to confess we do listen to some of the other drivers and, on the monitor, I have a driver button. Afterwards, when they have gone on pole, I have to turn it off immediately so I don't have to hear Sebastian whooping it up in the car. Today I wasn't feverishly looking for that button to turn it off, so that felt good!"

 

[Fenderman]

Yeah, that's a good one. Funnily enough my digit has hovered over the mute button and hit it way too often this season.

 

[RayInTorontoCanada]

That was one of the most dominating of Vettel's 10 wins this season.

I think it would have been a slightly different story had Hamilton defended the blast down to Turn 4 more aggressively on Lap 1. At least it would have prevented Vettel from controlling the race in the opening stint. Hamilton was also competitive in the 2nd stint and it was by no means a done deal.

It was a shame that Hamilton's front wing slots got blocked by the discarded Pirelli rubber otherwise it would have gotten interesting for the lead...though one wonders how much Vettel had in hand because apart from the understeer being suffered by Lewis' MP4-26 due to it's front wing issue, Vettel's tyres were found to be in good shape at the end.

Obviously it was like night and day with Vettel all alone on his tyres whilst Hamilton had to use up everything he had - including tyres - to defend from Webber.

It's just a shame that Vettel got by into the lead so quickly.

It would have been a better race if he had had to work a bit harder for the win.

Martin Brundle (BBC website):

"Vettel was able to control the race pace despite the safety car closing the pack up.

Watching the opening lap from Vettel's onboard camera confirms to me that anybody who says he cannot race has no idea what they are talking about."

 

[Foaad]

Youngest grand prix winner
Youngest to have the double (pole and win)
Youngest to have the hattrick (pole, win and fastest lap)
And now
Youngest to have the Grand Chalem (pole, win, fastest lap and led every lap)

 

[FB]

You forgot youngest World Champion and youngest Double World Champion Foaad.

 

[Brogan]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sebastian_Vettel#Formula_One_records

Shortest time elapsed before gaining a penalty
2007 United States Grand Prix (6 seconds into his career, for speeding in the pit lane)

 

[Speshal]

youngest Double World Champion Foaad.

Until presented with the trophy in December? he aint the world champion

 

[Foaad]

I was just highlighting the single race victory records rather than season records (they are mentioned in a separate table on wiki and I had my eye on the remaining slot occupied by Senna for a while, not anymore), otherwise there is also youngest points winner, youngest pole sitter and youngest championship runner up

 

[Slyboogy]

Until presented with the trophy in December? he aint the world champion

Technically he is, since he is the "reigning" World Champion

 

[Speshal]

Technically he is, since he is the "reigning" World Champion

I think you'll find I quoted the "double" world champion

 

[Slyboogy]

I think you'll find I quoted the "double" world champion

 

[Il_leone]

for Vettel to break Schumi's win record he needs to average about 7 wins a year and given Red Bull have got Renault engines and Newey around he could be on the way to do it.

His future competition will come from Hamilton no doubt and maybe Hulkenberg/Di Resta into stopping him breaking the records

 

[MCLS]

How long do you think Newey will be at Red Bull for though, certainly not as long as Vettel anyway.

 

[Il_leone]

How long do you think Newey will be at Red Bull for though, certainly not as long as Vettel anyway.

I think Newey's contract was up to 2014-2015 originally but Renault signed for 5 years with Red Bull,

Newey likes the Renault engines and every chance he may get it extended. I don;t see why he would not want to stay unless he is offered a kings ransom by Ferrari

Red Bull suits Newey because he always wanted to head up the technical team

-----------------

AS for Vettel.. Ferrari and Mercedes will be ready to pounce for him either he leaves Red Bull

>.. he's young enough and if he was another 10 years at the top then he needs basically to win about 7 races a year to beat Schumi's record

However if Newey leaves Red Bull I see a decline in the team's performance much like what happened with Williams and Mclaren

 

[teabagyokel]

The Seb Bull combination has improved rapidly year-on-year:

 

[RasputinLives]

That has to be the peak for that graph though right? I know the boy is awesome but surely even he can't top the dominance of this season?

 

[FB]

S'pose it edepends on how much of a monster Adrian Newey's team build for 2012. Anyway, the world ends in October 2012 (doesn't it?) so what are we all worried about?

 

[teabagyokel]

That has to be the peak for that graph though right? I know the boy is awesome but surely even he can't top the dominance of this season?

Can't imagine so. McLaren and Ferrari will surely come right back at them for 2012!