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 fuck 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

 

[Izumi]

Thread is still going strong thanks to mostly people who are known to have really "soft spot" for Sebastian Vettel. River dance on Seb's head with some regularity must make you feel good about your own achievements. There cannot be any other explanation.

 

[F1Brits_90]

wait im sure im seen this episode before, doing it then apologising later

https://twitter.com/x/status/1182218447448494080

 

[Johnny Carwash]

At least he admitted he was wrong.

 

[F1Brits_90]

he admitted he was wrong last time, but has still done again. he should start listening to his team boss 1st time round

 

[Izumi]

More to the point, whether he felt that way during a race. Reflection in hindsight is not the same as mindset of a racer seeing his teammates being slow, unable to keep up. I do remember anyone asking Leclerc similar questions after Monza, so here we are back to double standrad.

 

[Il_leone]

They called a "misunderstanding". We are just waiting for the next flashpoint between Vettel and Leclerc then

 

[RasputinLives]

I have respect for him for admitting he is wrong. It's seems a modern trait in life now days to just shout at people that you're right until the give up or highlight everyone else's mistakes in hope it covers your own up. So props to him for coming out and saying it.

 

[Il_leone]

But

Vettel: Ferrari F1 team orders policy not written in stone

Sebastian Vettel says the Ferrari Formula 1 team “didn’t write anything in stone” about its team orders policy while discussing its Russian Grand Prix controversy.

www.crash.net

Its all well coming out and saying this but part of it is to not having to back Leclerc up for the championship which is now effectively over

 

[F1Brits_90]

(thought id move it to relevant place as mentioned prior)

Ruslan Grizzly

1st of all this is very weird for me to be defending vettel because i can be 1 of his harshest critics & ill be on base of his entire career he might scrape into top 10 f1 world champions. but i think he deserves more credit for that spell than he gets. i agree you can make a great case for kubica being the number 1 p4p in 2010 that Monaco GP front row was very special & a great case for Alonso being the number 1 p4p in 2012. for some how being in title contention in such a dreadful car in comparison. but in all 4 & 5 id you include 09. vettel would always be in top 2 p4p. i disagree about Webber being a poor driver he won le mans twice, in 09 very much equal & most 10 it was a tough battle. webber really shouldve won title in 2010. but that silly mistake in Korea than he never recovered. he went on to long 2011 2012 & 2013 were embarrassing in hindsight

you look at the stats for Vettel from 2010 - 2013
4 world titles
40 poles
34 wins
52 podiums

in the same way of lewis Hamilton. his sheer consistency from 26th sept 2010 - 18th mar 2012. he was on the podium in all bar 1 race that he saw the chequered flag, the only race he finished but wasnt on podium was his home GP in germany gutted

then after 2012 Spanish GP that Maldonado won, vettel wouldn't finish outside of top 5 until nearly 2 years later at Bahrain GP

2013 was almost his last great spell from 2013 monaco gp to 2014 Australian GP (Excluding DNFs) he was beaten once in nearly 9 months

it is unfortunate that for any number of reasons. blown diffuser hybrid maybe things have been on down since germany 2018. he cant get near that level because we all know from 2019. when we have 2 or 3 great drivers going at it F1 is far better

 

[Brogan]

Right place, right time.

Just like button with Brawn (who also had the added bonus of the right brakes).

 

[Ruslan]

(thought id move it to relevant place as mentioned prior)

Ruslan Grizzly

you look at the stats for Vettel from 2010 - 2013
4 world titles
40 poles
34 wins
52 podiums

Yes, but that is not the stats I am looking at. What I am looking at a comparative performance compared to teammates....and how those teammates have compared to others.

 

[F1Brits_90]

Yes, but that is not the stats I am looking at. What I am looking at a comparative performance compared to teammates....and how those teammates have compared to others.

you cant judge drivers v drivers in different years in different cars, because there are so many factors. you cant judge Bottas & Rosberg in Mercedes. you can only judge them that year on its own

 

[F1Brits_90]

Right place, right time.

Just like button with Brawn (who also had the added bonus of the right brakes).

I agree with that & in all sport you need a lot of factors to go your way. over 19 races, you need to be in right car at the right time, in great form with good reliabilty

 

[Ruslan]

you cant judge drivers v drivers in different years in different cars, because there are so many factors. you cant judge Bottas & Rosberg in Mercedes. you can only judge them that year on its own

Maybe we are talking past each other here....what I am specifically referring to is that we can compare Hamilton to Alonso in the same year they were driving for the same team, same with Hamilton vs Button (for multiple years), Hamilton vs Rosberg ( for multiple years), etc.

 

[Il_leone]

It will always go against Vettel that when he has a top teammate he has been soundly beaten

 

[rufus_mcdufus]

Sebastian Vettel to leave Ferrari at end of Formula 1 season

Sebastian Vettel is to leave Ferrari at the end of the year after contract talks between the two break down with no agreement.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Johnny Carwash]

I think that he will retire at the end of this season.

 

[RasputinLives]

Does that mean at the end of this year or next? Because there isn't going to be a season this year.

 

[The Artist.....]

RasputinLives - at the end of 2020.

what might cause some confusion is if the 2020 season runs into early 2021...

 

[RasputinLives]

I don't see the point in there being a 2020 season nor do I thing logistically an international sport like Formula 1 can be up and running until at least December. They should just knock it on the head and go straight to 2021 in March.