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

 

[ZakspeedYakspeed]

The only problem for Vettel is that unless the two Mercedes drivers have another red mist is that he will not get into a position to help anyone.

so this weekend then Bill ....

 

[Brogan]

Vettel didn't waste much time then, did he?

The first season where he hasn't won anything since his four in a row WDC streak and he's off.

 

[Mezzer]

Brogan Just saw it. Wow. Seems a bit quick to throw in the towel after having it handed on a plate for several years. Well, not quite, but you know what I mean. I would have to guess that he is off to Ferrari, with visions of rebuilding a la Schumacher. That, of course, predisposes that there is a Ferrari seat free, which frankly could be either Raikkonen or Alonso's at the moment, or even both.

 

[KekeTheKing]

This could be a fantastic move for Seb. I honestly don't think he has much to lose by making this switch. Imagine if he leads Ferrari back to prominence, he will ensure his legendary status within the sport and be worshipped by the tifosi forever.

He still has plenty of time to salvage something from this season as well.

 

[Kewee]

Imagine if he has trouble matching Kimi if Alonso moves to McLaren, considering Alonso has consistently outperformed Kimi since they've been teamed together. If McLaren/Honda are quick out of the blocks, as they may well be, and Alonso is in one of their cars McLaren could find the glory they've been trying to recapture. I can't see any good on the horizon for Vettel, I just can't see him taking more to Ferrari than Alonso offered.

 

[Mezzer]

... and Ferrari is now confirmed. Interesting times.

 

[Dizzi]

An amicable split from Red Bull, conscious uncoupling (or is that just on Dan's car for tomorrow!)
I'd love to have seen Helmut's face.
Can't help echoing Kewee re move to Ferrari

 

[Titch]

Vettel to Ferrari, who'd have thunk it !!

 

[Bill Boddy]

Watched qualifying first before knowing about Vettel. Following what has happened this season, and especially Singapore and qualifying today. So my mind was made up.

IT WAS THE CAR.

Then the Horner interview confirmed my view, Horner was laid back about it, didn't seem worried to lose Vettel and praised Ricciardo (well he would wouldn't he). His whole attitude was that he had not lost his major asset.

 

[RasputinLives]

Well Seb off to Ferrari which I think is an odd move but it seems he wants to emulated what Schumacher did when he went there. I hope he realises though that Schumacher did not achieve this on his own and took some very good people with him as well as getting some others in. I hope Seb has some sort of influence there or this could be a disastor.

As for Horner sounding non-plussed about him going. Well he has too really just like Whitmarsh had too about Lewis leaving. I don't think there is any doubt the Red Bull car was amazing but it didn't drive itself. It will be something that will continue to be debated and everyone will have their view. I hope he gets given a good enough Ferrari for us to find out. I will quote Martin Brundle though who said "I spent the last 4 years watching Vettel at race tracks around the world and I know I saw a world class driver. That doesn't dissapear over night".

 

[Jen]

It does seem to have though - the disappearing that is.

If Danny can make the car work why can't Seb?

 

[Mezzer]

Good question, but we've seen it before. Remember Schumacher in the Benetton? He was obviously very competitive in it but his team mates could hardly drive it.

 

[RasputinLives]

As we've seen recently its not that Seb can't make the car work but that Danny has been making it work better. Seb has been off his pace but he's not been Mark Webber style of his pace.

 

[Bushi]

It seems to me that he has found some of his pace back, but still struggles with this years tyres. In the begging of the race he seems to fair well, but than starts to drop midway till the end. Looks like the same problems Webber had with the 'new' pirelli's back in 2011?

 

[no-FIAt-please]

I have no doubt that even if Vettel brings Ferrari back to the front, there will always be a question mark over him. Just like Schumacher, in that he needed a second rate team-mate. Like a rat from a sinking ship, not that Red Bull is sinking...

 

[Brogan]

This is what enabled Vettel to leave Red Bull early:

Get out clause in Red Bull contract made move to Ferrari possible. It says: Vettel had to be worse than 3rd in drivers table on 30th Sep.

https://twitter.com/tgruener/status/518230563899977728

 

[The Pits]

Interesting.

Heres a theory (likely to be shot down)

who is to say that he has not engineered his current position to allow the get out? Pre-season it was obvious that Merc were the class of the field, and Red Bull were struggling, and Vettel could have approached/been approached early in the season, with wads of Euros. I'll see what I can do he says, with the deal already lined up.

Also, I know that the Ferrari move is touted widely, but am I correct in saying that there is no actual confirmation that Vettel will move to Ferrari as yet?

 

[soccerman17]

I had the exact same idea after reading that he could get out if third or worse in drivers standings. Could he have been tanking? If we start to see the old Vettel this weekend we might be able to make a bad assumption why.

 

[Incubus]

And more to the point why would a journo (whom I personally never heard of) have come to know the clauses in an F1 driver's contract and why would either driver or team divulge them before any move has even been made official?

 

[Brogan]

Tobias Gruner is well known around the F1 paddock.
He works for AMuS.