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

 

[Blog Zbod]

Blog - Webber led at least one lap in Korea in the pit phase. No Grand Slam, sorry....

FIA official timing and scoring never carried Webber higher than 2°. Vettel officially led every lap.

 

[Johnny Carwash]

Sebastian Vettel has become so dominant now this season that he has the same amount of points as the 2nd place team in the constructors championship (Ferrari), both have 297 points.

 

[Blog Zbod]

Conclusions from the 2013 Japanese GP
Red Bull learn the trick of winning from a losing position, while McLaren make a great job of a bad season...
By Pete Gill. Last Updated: October 15, 2013 1:24pm

"...As for Vettel, his coronation as Sebastian the Fourth is a racing certainty in two weeks' time. The debate goes on about his position in the pantheon of F1 legends, but for anyone questioning his right to be considered as such, ask yourself this: as a driver who topped his first ever F1 practice session, became the youngest ever points scorer in the sport, then the youngest ever champion, and is now on the cusp of a fourth successive title, just what evidence is there to suggest that he is not a great?..."

 

[Road of Bones]

I know there's the school of thought that says "he's not great unless he either beats a champion teammate or drags an uncompetitive team up to the front", but I don't think anyone's really questioning his claim to being great, just that we're all getting a bit sick of him making it look so chuffing easy.
Even when he had to claw back Alonso's points advantage last year, he made it look like he wasn't really trying all that hard.

I am getting more tired of having to read editorials in the F1 press trying to tell us that we should be grateful to watch Vettel marmalise the sport, because somehow we should be in awe of his & Red Bull's excellence- well, I'm sorry, but I'm not. It's like they're all desperately sugar-frosting a particularly whiffy turd and telling us to ignore the smell and enjoy the glitter...

 

[FB]

I may have mentioned this before but I'm quite enjoying this season.

 

[no-FIAt-please]

I can't imagine why.

 

[Mephistopheles]

He's a very lovely young man...

 

[teabagyokel]

An exclusive club for Vettel to enter; the five in a row club!

 

[Mephistopheles]

He hasn't joined the six out of seven club for the first seven races of the season though has he, who's members are a very select group of which Jenson is a one...

 

[teabagyokel]

Interestingly, Vettel is one of those with the fewest team-mate appearances, with Clark as the undoubted winner in that category.

 

[Foaad]

An interesting interview of Vettel by the Spanish TV presenter, whome he had asked once before for a kiss in exchange for race strategy in Valencia 2011 I believe, though this interview goes much further in frankness.

 

[Mephistopheles]

To my knowledge teabagyokel Vettels F1 teammates have been

1. Nick Heidfeld
2. Vitantonio Liuzzi
   
3. Sébastien Bourdais
   
4. Mark Webber
5. Daniel Ricciardo (For next year.)

Surely that is more than some others have had?

 

[Foaad]

Mephistopheles I believe he was referring to how many times the teammate also appeared on the podium during that run, hence highlighting that it may be more about the car than the driver, in case of Vettel, Mark was on the podium twice (a 3rd and a 2nd) while others (except Clark) had multiple team 1-2.

 

[Bill Boddy]

There is still only one driver who got two fives-in-a-row in the same season. Now that was dominance.

 

[Mephistopheles]

Mephistopheles I believe he was referring to how many times the teammate also appeared on the podium during that run, hence highlighting that it may be more about the car than the driver, in case of Vettel, Mark was on the podium twice (a 3rd and a 2nd) while others (except Clark) had multiple team 1-2.

I'm not sure what you are getting at, but to my way of thinking if it was just down to the car then the team mate would appear on the podium more often than not which means vettels dominance is not just about the car, this I agree with and puts Vettel in the same class as Clark which is a mighty class to be in.

But if you are saying that Vettels success is purely down to the car then I don't agree, forgive me it's late and my brain is fuzzy...

 

[Foaad]

Mephistopheles your interpretation is correct, apologies I may not have worded it very clearly but I was implying same conclusion as yours, that Vettel's results were without multiple team 1-2, hence going against the general perception that it is the car and not the driver

 

[siffert_fan]

1992 looks to be far more clearly about a dominant chassis, with the "fierce" Patrese scoring so many 2nds!

 

[teabagyokel]

Ascari's 1952-3 Ferrari was absurdly dominant as well.

 

[Blog Zbod]

Except for one blogger twit at Yahoo Eurosport who summarily dismisses claims of Vettel's "greatness", this afternoon it seems all the journos are quite keen to jump on the "Vettel already is one of the greats" bandwagon. I get the impression this isn't so much about genuine respect for Vettel's skills as it is about clearing their way to boast, "I told you he was great 'X' seasons ago" once he has won his fifth ...or sixth ...or later WDCs.

 

[FB]

Just caught the end of an interview with Murray Walker on 5Live who reckons Vettel is as good a driver in terms of skill and applicationas Senna or Schumacher but with one big difference, his sense of humour. High praise indeed.