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

 

[RasputinLives]

Dear Everyone who said that during his 4 championships Vettels amazing first couple of laps pace where he gets himself free of the DRS gap on the field was only down to the Red Bull blown diffusor or secret boost button (yes a former member of this forum claimed that).

Did you see the first few laps in Hungary?

Now please all form an orderly queue at Sebastian's front door and apologise.

 

[Brogan]

Well duh!

Quite clearly he took his secret boost button with him when he moved to Ferrari.

 

[Andyoak]

Or did Alonso forget to pick up his 6/10ths when he went to McLaren?

 

[RasputinLives]

I think he forgot it at Ferrari as well

 

[teabagyokel]

Andyoak - He left them there, and Hamilton nicked them and took them to Mercedes.

 

[cider_and_toast]

Who said he had a secret boost button?

It's a shame we missed out on a Vettel and Hamilton scrap in Hungary but Seb did a top job. It's hard to tell from a low power circuit like that where Ferrari now are in relation to Merc. You would have to say on full power in Spa the Mercs will once again have the advantage. As with Danny last season, Seb is still in with a sniff of the title as we move into the later races and that in itself, given how bonkers things had got at Maranello at the back end of last year, is a bloody good achievement.

 

[RasputinLives]

Lets just say an ex-member. I think its on this thread somewhere.

 

[soccerman17]

Well the diffuser and having the fastest car on the grid definitely helped. The car was brilliant, and so was Seb. That was boring as hell to watch though.

 

[teabagyokel]

If Red Bull had the best car in 2012, it was only by a narrow margin, and certainly not consistently. Even then, he showed that he was excellent at limiting damage when little was on offer for him. When his opportunity came he was ruthless.

 

[Olivier]

His car was also mighty strong ...

 

[teabagyokel]

That's how tight it was...

He won that year in the Asian season when he exploited the edge he got.

Unless Webber was utter shit*, the 2011 car wasn't that good either.

*Probability 50-70%

 

[F1Brits_90]

Dear Everyone who said that during his 4 championships Vettels amazing first couple of laps pace where he gets himself free of the DRS gap on the field was only down to the Red Bull blown diffusor or secret boost button (yes a former member of this forum claimed that).

Did you see the first few laps in Hungary?

Now please all form an orderly queue at Sebastian's front door and apologise.

I never said vettel was a poor driver, just that he needed time like all the great drivers needs time in a slower car that he can outperform because in 2012 2013 we never got to see his race craft with other drivers as he qualified on pole & drove away into distance leaving everyone to fight for 2nd come turn 5. You wonder how much is aero genius newey & how much is vettel

But Brazil 2012 drive to field was outstanding & impressed me alot & as his reputation as rocketed at Ferrari because we've seen more of quality at Ferrari

 

[erinha]

Once again Vettel has enough points on his own to hold his team in the same place for WCC rankings.

Mercedes: 383
Ferrari: 236
Williams: 151

Vettel: 160

Remember 2013? Red Bull: 596 Vettel: 397 Mercedes: 360

 

[erinha]

I think he's currently on a streak for the most consecutive GPs without a DNF caused by crash, right? Spa will be the 100th if he doesn't DNF because of an accident. Knock on wood! Last crash: Turkey 2010. WOW.

 

[RasputinLives]

Nah that can't be right. When was it he took Button out at Spa?

 

[teabagyokel]

RasputinLives - He finished.

 

[RasputinLives]

Well thats just cheating

 

[erinha]

Hulk will be joining Seb for Germany in RoC.

www.gpupdate.net/en/f1-news/329076/hulkenberg-joins-vettel-for-race-of-champions/

 

[teabagyokel]

Vettel has not been weighed and referred to the stewards. Silly boy.

 

[Dash Racing]

Oh dear. I can see how that happened, I'd probably be too peeved to remember something like a weigh-in if my team's decision had screwed up my race too