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

 

[KekeTheKing]

Vettel claims the Red Bull car this season is less dominant than last.

Must be nice to compare and contrast the dominance of your championship winning race cars.

All hail Newey and his old-school drawing board!

 

[RayInTorontoCanada]

Must be nice to compare and contrast the dominance of your championship winning race cars.

All hail Newey and his old-school drawing board!

Since he left Williams-Renault Newey has made championship-winning cars for only two drivers - over a 15 year period.

Kimi Raikkonen, Juan Montoya, David Couthard, Mark Webber, Ralf Schumacher drove Newey cars...but no titles.

So there must be something about the Newey-Vettel axis that's not easily duplicated?

Possible?

Regardless, with respect to what happened at Suzuka today you can't deny that Vettel's lap was "tremendous" and "remarkable" (HornerSpeak) and, according to a "surprised" Webber (who tried "his best"), it was a "massive lap for pole" "which was a great effort".

Clearly the MP4-26 had the measure of the RB7 in Qualifying spec but, for whatever reasons, it's Vettel on Pole.

I think some of the credit has to go to Vettel's natural talent, frankly. I'm inclined to think Vettel would have gotten the Suzuka pole in an MP4-26 today as well and he'd make damn sure there was time enough to cross the Chequered Flag for his last flyer.

It seems like his mind operates in a different way to, say, a Hamilton. We've seen it too many times in 2011 and all the pundits can't be wrong.

I think he's the most complete driver in F1 and there's something about the way he not only gels with Newey's designs but also the way he minimizes the impact on the Pirellis on breaking-turn in-acceleration while still being blisteringly fast (at least in relation to Webber who, until he paired up with Vettel, was known as a "Qualifying Specialist".)

 

[teabagyokel]

I think some of the credit has to go to the pace setter not crossing the line, frankly.

 

[Vortex]

Could also be that the Pirelli’s suit his natural driving style too, he’s certainly adapted to them more easily than Webber has.

 

[RayInTorontoCanada]

I think some of the credit has to go to the pace setter not crossing the line, frankly.

Well, yes. Some.

I did say in this thread that Vettel "STOLE" Pole...and, if you look at my most recent McLaren Thread entry, you'll see how I outline the possible blame for McLarens losing pole.

Check it out, TBY. I think you ought to give us your opinion on it.

 

[RayInTorontoCanada]

Could also be that the Pirelli’s suit his natural driving style too, he’s certainly adapted to them more easily than Webber has.

Yes. There's some suggestion that he's young enough to adapt his style quicker and that his natural style is evolving.

Vettel was the only driver to visit the Pirelli factory outside Milan in the winter.

Probably means SFA...but, who knows, may be some Pirelli engineering minion was flattered by the World Champions visit and had some thoughts about philosophy...or, who knows, Vettel got some insight into the way he would attack a corner on the new rubber, especially on simultaneous braking-and-turn-in or simultaneous turn-and-acceleration or a combination there of as opposed to just breaking-in-a-straight-line-and-then-turning.

I'm only speculating. Peter Windsor (who tends to use silly airy fairey lingo that is simply too stupifyingly full of bunk for my tastes) seems to have a point to make on the above.

 

[teabagyokel]

What I will say is that Vettel deserves immense credit for his consistency and excellence. The fact is there was little to suggest he would outqualify Button and he obviously did so in a straight fight, albeit narrowly. Yes, I know Button is a poor qualifier, and yes, I believe Hamilton would have beaten him in a straight fight, but it is clearly no fluke.

He's a very competent young man. As for if he'd take pole in the MP4-26, I'm totally sure he would, whether he would then go on to beat either of the McLaren drivers in a race is a different (and difficult) question.

 

[RayInTorontoCanada]

What I will say is that Vettel deserves immense credit for his consistency and excellence. The fact is there was little to suggest he would outqualify Button and he obviously did so in a straight fight, albeit narrowly. Yes, I know Button is a poor qualifier, and yes, I believe Hamilton would have beaten him in a straight fight, but it is clearly no fluke.

He's a very competent young man. As for if he'd take pole in the MP4-26, I'm totally sure he would, whether he would then go on to beat either of the McLaren drivers in a race is a different (and difficult) question.

O I agree.

100 percent.

On every single point. Including about your thoughts on the race itself.

 

[Galahad]

The chances of McLaren running 1-2 in the Japanese GP are vanishingly small, regardless of the order.

Might need to eat my with that prediction!

 

[ExtremeNinja]

So, when Webber moved left and leant on Vettel, Vettel thought that was rather crazy for his teammate to do that. Hence the twirling of the index finger to the head.

When Webber moved left on Vettel?

 

[FB]

Let's NOT go there again shall we?

 

[ExtremeNinja]

Let's NOT go there again shall we?

OK. I'll let it go. the video says it all anyway.

 

[ExtremeNinja]

I pointed it out seconds after it happened on the race thread, but somebody with some clout needs to have a harsh word with Vettel about his aggressive starts. It's a nasty habit he's got there and I don't like it one little bit.

 

[Hamberg]

Well. Regardless of having the fastest car all season, Sebastian made just one mistake on race day that led to just one loss of position - in the whole season!

That's phenomenal. Well done boy, well deserved, superb WDC

 

[Fenderman]

Seemed rather unnecessary with him only needing a point for the championship. He was lucky not to have come off the worse for it. But then, he knew it was Jenson and knew that Jense needed to survive to win.

 

[Brogan]

It's no different to what he's done in numerous earlier races.

 

[Fenderman]

True enough.

 

[Bill Boddy]

Vettel learnt it from Schumacher (Michael).

 

[Vortex]

I knew it would be Schumacher’s fault somehow! lol blame him for the weather too, or is that Hamilton’s fault these days?

 

[Bill Boddy]

Schumacher (M) used to line his car up on the grid pointing straight at where he intended to cut up the driver next behind him on the grid. It saved the effort of turning the steering wheel.