Current 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 **** 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

 

[Bushi]

Ah, to me it's more dangerous to smack one of your rivals in the fence on a bike. They were probably running at higher speed than Vettel and Hammi.

 

[teabagyokel]

The helmets in cycling competitions aren't quite as protective as the full F1, let's be fair. And F1 drivers don't tend to get run over after falling as Cav was.

Except Taki Inoue.

 

[FB]

According to this - Vettel to be offered in excess of $138 million - Iforsports - Vettel has been offered a 3 year deal to stay at Ferrari.

 

[Titch]

Almost as much as Chris Evans earns.

 

[Andyoak]

No, there was a typo in the BBC report...

 

[Bill Boddy]

I liked the bit about Vettel insisting that Raikkonen has to be kept on. He knows when he has a good number 2 who will rarely beat him.

 

[siffert_fan]

I can only think of two pairings in the 50+ years I have been following F1 where there were truly two number one drivers: Jim Clark with Graham Hill, and Prost with Senna (and didn't the latter run smoothly).

Public pronouncements notwithstanding, the simple fact is that the higher-paid driver is the de facto number one, whether designated publicly as such or not. The simple fact is that a large difference in salaries would put pressure on the team to make sure the higher-paid driver had every advantage (latest mods, best engines etc) in order to justify the difference. That's just the way businesses operate.

 

[The Pits]

Hamilton Alonso? Massa Raikkonnen? Button Hamilton? Hamilton Rosberg? Montoya Raikkonnen?

Many more too.

 

[siffert_fan]

So you believe the public pronouncements.

If you were the team principal, and were paying Kimi, say 25% higher salary than Massa, wouldn't you be doing everything in your power to make sure that Kimi produced the better results? If that doesn't happen, how can can you justify the pay difference to owners? IMO It would result in raising doubts about your judgement, possibly placing your job in jeopardy.

 

[The Pits]

Dont be so patronising. Nor tell me what i believe.

Do you honestly believe that the team would not simply back their best chance? Or allow parity and natural selection?

How else would you explain mclaren 2007, ferrari 2008? Red Bull 2014?

 

[teabagyokel]

I would believe that the team would always back their best chance; thus Massa in 2008 when he started outperforming Raikkonen.

I believe that Hamilton and Button certainly had parity. Hamilton and Alonso were not intended as an equal partnership; it didn't work out either way.

As for Red Bull, I don't think that team is particularly bothered when a Red Bull junior beats another Red Bull junior in the championship. Either way it has justified a hell of a lot of investment!

 

[marksawatsky]

I know who the blonde lady is who is ALWAYS there with a microphone (Britta Roeske, Ferrari Press Officer) when Vettel is being interviewed, but why do all the media include her in the shot? It's like they are interviewing her, too. The other drivers have a media person with them as well but the cameramen just zoom in on the driver a little so you don't see anyone else, but not with Vettel. They always have her in the shot, too.

 

[RasputinLives]

F1 cameramen never seem to miss a chance to get a pretty lady into shot. I guess being a perv is in the job description.

 

[Rutherford]

Vettel has received a reprimand for not attending the anthem, because he was busy with the team after his lap to the grid. It's his second reprimand which means if he receives another one, he'll face a grid penalty.

 

[gethinceri]

Well if any of them have any balls they can miss the anthem in Austin. Or kneel.

 

[Angel]

Vettel got voted driver of the day after that scrappy start. I guess he won it due to the way he pushed really hard and made it through to 5th from last place at the end of lap 1. Says a lot about F1 when the driver of the day gets a penalty for causing an accident (he admitted it was sort of his mistake but he had nowhere else to go) and wins it due to the fact he was pretty much the only one out there passing people.

 

[F1Brits_90]

Vettel got voted driver of the day after that scrappy start. I guess he won it due to the way he pushed really hard and made it through to 5th from last place at the end of lap 1. Says a lot about F1 when the driver of the day gets a penalty for causing an accident (he admitted it was sort of his mistake but he had nowhere else to go) and wins it due to the fact he was pretty much the only one out there passing people.

But he's got driver of the day for something he shouldnt have had to do

 

[Angel]

But he's got driver of the day for something he shouldnt have had to do

Exactly, it shows the state of F1 when people vote that way because that was the most action on track in a race.

 

[RasputinLives]

To be fair to Seb he had extra grip off the start from the softer tyre, he'd got a massive slipstream from Lewis, a Merc in front of him and one to the side of him. I don't think any other driver could have done anything different than he did.

Yes could slam on the brakes and stop but think of the chaos that would happen behind.

Modern society is obsessed with victims and villains though so we have to give tags to both.

 

[Bill Boddy]

At least if he had slammed on the brakes Verstappen would have got the blame.