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

 

[Brogan]

It does say the contract has conditions so if Ferrari aren't performing well, you may well see Vettel looking to re-sign at Red Bull.

Or McLaren...

 

[jez101]

My guess is that Vettel has agreed to join Ferrari (for a stupid amount of money) if Ferrari are leading [one of] the championships at midseason-ish. My second guess is that his Red Bull contract contains an option committing Seb if they are leading whichever championship and not Ferrari. They can't both be leading so Vettel won't be in breach of one of the two he has signed.

These are just wild guesses! It would fit with what Brogan is saying about also being able to go somewhere else (eg if McLaren or Mercedes are leading) or stay at Red Bull if neither team is on top on the cut off date.

 

[Viscount]

With all due respect to Fernando, I think Felipe can be as fast or sometimes even faster than him. But then I don't always understand why the difference between them is so great.
In the past Felipe has competed with very good drivers like Michael and Kimi and has always been fast, so I don't understand. But I'm not a Ferrari driver and so I don't know how things are there.

http://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/massa-can-be-even-faster-than-alonso-vettel/

To me that sounds like a man who thinks he could beat Alonso, but doesn't sound too keen on the number 1/2 driver setup they have at Ferrari.

 

[RickD]

Viscount - Surely its not much different to the setup at Redbull, except that he has that coveted position..

 

[Brogan]

The denials have already started...

Christian Horner denies possibility of Vettel to Ferrari in 2014. "Without a shadow of doubt (Vettel) will be part of Red Bull team in 2014"

Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo: "I've always said don't want two roosters in the hen-house. It creates instability in the team"

It would seem the 2014 silly season has started a bit early

 

[FB]

I'm presuming that second quote is a translation but it's a brilliant quote none the less. To extend the metaphor a little further, I presume what Ferrari are looking for is one rooster and a battery hen.

 

[The Pits]

Or one rooster and a cock

 

[sportsman]

Suppose Alono wins WDC in 2013.Think of the mayhem that would cause if Vettel was his teamate in 2014.

 

[Senna's_right_foot]

Or one rooster and a cock

I doubt Mansell would fit in the car thesedays.

 

[sportsman]

http://www.gpupdate.net/en/f1-news/285676/montezemolo-vettel-will-not-partner-alonso/
Luca di Montezemolo has firmly seen off talk that Sebastian Vettel will be moving to Ferrari alongside Fernando Alonso in 2014. According to the company President, such a switch would only cause high tension inside the team.
Although talk of a future Vettel-to-Ferrari move has already been rife in Formula 1 over recent months, the situation ramped up on Monday as BBC Sport reported that contacts inside the team were claiming that a Vettel option for 2014 was now in place.
The Ferrari head now states that the stories should not be believed.

“I do not want two roosters in the hen house,” Montezemolo tells the Italian media. “I want two drivers who race for Ferrari and not for themselves. I want a friendly rivalry like we have had with Schumacher and Irvine, Schumacher and Barrichello, Alonso and Massa or Massa and Schumacher.

 

[RickD]

So, it true then, Vettel to Ferrai in 2014.

 

[sportsman]

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/103843
Q. (Dan Knutson - Honorary) Seb, there's been all the stories on the internet about you and Ferrari. Could you set the record straight please: is there any arrangement, agreement, talk between you and your people and Ferrari?

SV: This could be quite funny now, what I say... No, there's nothing, nothing to tell you, nothing I've signed. Nothing has changed. It's quite amusing. I don't know where it came from but... I don't read much, so it's quite a surprise when you get to the circuit and get all these questions. Nothing to report. As I said, I can't be happier at the moment, I'm very happy with... Actually, there's one thing I would like to say about this. As I said, there's no reason to write anything or report anything but obviously, as I said earlier, you don't know every single one in the team, and it's hard to speak to every single one, so if there's - sorry to say - some bullshit in the press, obviously there might be some concerns back in the factory, but I'm 100 percent behind them as I feel they're 100 percent behind me and therefore I want to get this straight: there's nothing to report and I'm very happy at Red Bull Racing.

 

[Speshal]

So he's off then

“There have been a lot of speculations and rumours about my move to Mercedes but I am happy with McLaren,” he was quoted as saying by the Times of India. We have a great car and we are in a position to challenge the top teams. We are definitely in with a chance to win the championship,” Hamilton added. I won my first world championship with McLaren (in 2008) and I am happy with their background, the people and environment there,”

 

[RasputinLives]

Sebastian Vettel fact - 15 of Sebastian's 26 grand prix wins have come on the continent of Asia. in fact all of his wins this season have come on that continent.

Seb isn't the biggest fan of the european season having no wins in europe this year and only the one european win in his 2010 championship year.

 

[sportsman]

Speshal. I am much more likely to believe the words of Sebastial Vettel I heard with my own ears rather than something that is quoted in some press article dreamed up by some hack reporter.

 

[Speshal]

Oh I agree sportsman, it's just that drivers will deny it until the cows come home until they are stood in a new set of overalls.

 

[KekeTheKing]

Seb's run to glory at Abu Dhabi

 

[Fenderman]

He must have had a car full of candy at the end of all that.

 

[ExtremeNinja]

Haven't watched the race yet as on holiday. Fantastic result for him but a mixture of some pretty good driving and some fairly amateurishness driving, too. He would be black flagged without question for some of those moves in the Club100 karting series.

 

[teabagyokel]

I can see a film about this race coming out:

They thought it was over...​

...but it had just begun​

​

SEBASTIAN VETTEL CHRISTIAN HORNER LEWIS HAMILTON​

​

in the horror event of the year:​

​

THE CUCUMBER RETURNS​