company name	Infiniti
company logo
company type	Division
foundation	1989
location	Tokyo, Japan
key people	Toru Saito, Corporate Vice President of Infiniti
industry	Automotive
products	Automobiles
parent	Nissan Motors
homepage	}}

is the luxury division of automaker Nissan. Infiniti officially started selling vehicles on November 8, 1989 in North America. Marketing operations have since grown to include the Middle East, South Korea, Russia, Taiwan, China, and Ukraine. Infiniti began sales in additional European markets in late 2008. The marketing network for Infiniti-branded vehicles now includes over 230 dealers in over 15 countries.

The marque is not used in Japan and the automaker markets most of equivalent Infiniti models domestically as Nissans: Infiniti G as the Nissan Skyline sedan and coupe, Infiniti M as the Nissan Fuga, Infiniti EX as the Nissan Skyline crossover, and Infiniti Q45 as the Nissan Cima. The Infiniti FX has no Nissan equivalent and is not sold in Japan. The first generation Infiniti Q45 was sold as the Nissan Infiniti Q45 in Japan.

History

1989: The beginning

The Infiniti brand was introduced in the United States in 1989. The marketing strategy was to target the premium vehicle segments in the United States that would not have otherwise fit in with Nissan's more mainstream image, and partially influenced by the Plaza Accord of the late 1980s. The brand was created around the same time as Japanese rivals Toyota and Honda's developed their Lexus and Acura premium brands. The Japanese government imposed Voluntary Export Restraints for the U.S. market, so it was more profitable for automakers to export more expensive cars to the U.S.

The Infiniti marque was launched with the Q45 that was based on the all new second generation JDM Nissan President on a 5 milimeter shorter wheelbase platform at 2,875mm (113.2 in). Starting with model year 1992, the wheelbase matched the President's wheelbase at 2880mm (113.4 in ). The Q45 included a V8 engine, four wheel steering, and active suspension system offered on the first generation Q45t. The car's features would have made it competitive in the full-sized "luxury" segment against the Mercedes S-Class, BMW 7 Series, Jaguar XJ, and Cadillac Fleetwood; however, the Q45s appearance was less conventional in comparison to the Toyota rival, the Lexus LS. Infiniti also didn't offer an executive class sized sedan to match the first Japanese luxury sedan introduced to North America, the Acura Legend until the introduction of the Infiniti J30, which also contended with the newly revised 1992 Lexus ES. There were market-driven requests for Nissan to introduce the very successful Nissan Skyline, Nissan Laurel, or the newly created Nissan Cefiro as an alternative to the Lexus ES or the Legend, but Nissan hesitated until 2003 when the Skyline finally arrived in North America as the Infiniti G.

1990s

A second model was introduced in 1990, the 2-door M30, a badge engineered Nissan Leopard. It remained in production for three years as an alternative to the Lexus SC. The powertrain was the VG30E engine and an automatic transmission. The M30 coupe was underpowered for its stock weight of . The M30 convertible weighed even more, due to the required body and chassis reinforcements. The appearance of the M30 had almost no resemblance to the larger Q45, and the interior was completely different, other than a round analog clock.

In 1991, Infiniti introduced a third model, the Infiniti G20, based on the Nissan Primera, essentially an upgraded version of the Nissan Sunny with a leather interior package and the SR20DE DOHC engine with multi-port fuel injection for improved performance.

For the 1993 model year, Infiniti introduced a four-door coupé J30 with only one engine option, the VG30DE. This engine was borrowed from the 300ZX, the JDM Nissan Cedric, Nissan Gloria and the Nissan Cima, and was the North American version of the third generation JDM Nissan Leopard.

Infiniti sales were slow. The company's initial campaign aimed to bring about brand awareness with Zen-influenced spots that focused on nature and tranquility. However, the ads did not show the actual cars. Designers decided not to adorn the interiors with wood accents and chrome brightwork, opting for a monochrome appearance focusing on padded leather and vinyl throughout the vehicles. Some buyers had faux wood appliques added to areas surrounding the center console and around the interior door handles. The only item that had a bright appearance was the centrally installed analog clock in all models, a design that is maintained by the designers.

By the mid-1990s, Infiniti was lagging behind Lexus and Acura in sales. The Q45 had retreated considerably from its focused, taut rendition of a sporty executive sedan, having become a barely recognizable, ponderously handling sedan that earned the nickname "The Japanese Lincoln". In 1999, Infiniti revived the G20, based on the discontinued JDM Nissan Primera, a compact sport sedan whose production was halted for 1998 in Europe and Japan. The second generation G20 was marketed as a competitor to European entry level luxury sport sedans, but it now weighed more than the first generation version. Because Infiniti continued to use the SR20DE four cylinder engine and compact size, it fell short of sales expectations. The G20 was also marketed primarily to the wrong demographic, that being middle-aged professional women, and as such was not as popular new as its actual main competition, the similarly priced Acura Integra.

In 1997, Infiniti released the QX4, modifying and adding premium accommodations to the Nissan Pathfinder, rather than the larger Nissan Safari. This made Infiniti one of the first makers (apart from SUV specialists, Jeep and Land Rover) to offer a mid-sized luxury-type SUV - predating the release of the Lexus RX 300, Acura MDX and the Mercedes-Benz ML320. The QX4 was released after Acura's introduction of the larger SLX (a rebadged Isuzu Trooper) and the Lexus LX (a rebadged Toyota Land Cruiser). Like a traditional SUV, it was based on a truck platform giving it a competitive edge for its off-roading abilities.

Infiniti replaced the J30 mid-sized rear drive sedan with the second generation JDM Nissan Cefiro giving it the North American designation I30 in 1996, but as with the J30, and M30, continued to offer only one under-powered engine, the VQ30DE with front wheel drive shared with the Maxima. Infiniti made major changes to the I30 in terms of appearance and performance in 2002, upgrading the engine to the more powerful VQ35DE which incurred a name change to the vehicle, calling it the I35. Sales and the brand, bereft of an image or a following, floundered.

2000s

By 2000, large Japanese companies were feeling the effect of the Japanese asset price bubble, and due to reduced desirability of Infiniti products, the division was facing extinction. The company rededicated itself to developing a dynamic and powerful line-up of sporty luxury cars. ''Car and Driver'' reported that Infiniti executives invited members of the motoring press to a meeting where they "swore never again to take their eyes off BMW." Although this effort began with a completely redesigned Q45 flagship for the 2002 model year, it was the G35 that helped sales improve for Infiniti in 2003. In Japan, Nissan had a well established reputation with premium level performance sedans after Nissan acquired the Prince Motor Company and integrated the Nissan Skyline, Nissan Laurel, and Nissan Gloria, originally Prince vehicles, in 1966-1968. A sports sedan replacing of its Nissan Primera-based predecessor (the G20), the Nissan Skyline-based G35 was successful after it was selected Motor Trend Car of the Year in 2003.

The release of the sport-tuned FX35/45 crossover that same year piggybacked on the G35's success. The FX used the same components as the G35 sport coupe and was designed for American tastes. It combined good handling and performance with station wagon-like versatility and all-weather capability. In 2004, Infiniti added an all-wheel drive version of the G35 sports sedan to compete with similar all-wheel drive sports sedans from Audi and BMW. Infiniti also introduced a larger SUV to compete with the Toyota Land Cruiser/Lexus LX470. This was the 2004 Infiniti QX56 based on the U.S. market Nissan Armada.

Nissan Motors President and CEO, Carlos Ghosn, developed a business strategy to break Infiniti away from its Nissan roots. The G35 series helped re-define Infiniti as the "Japanese BMW,". The M35/M45 garnered acclaim from the automotive press, winning an eight-car comparison test in ''Car and Driver'', and the model named the best luxury sedan by ''Consumer Reports''. The M45 model featured the same engine as the Q45, and the M45 became the flagship model after the Q45 was withdrawn from the lineup. The Infiniti M (2003–2005) and the Infiniti G (starting in 2003) were known in Japan as the Nissan Gloria and the Nissan Skyline.

For the 2007 model year a redesigned version of the G35 sedan was introduced, followed in 2008 by a new version of the company's G coupe, the G37. The coupe was first unveiled at the New York International Auto Show. Also released in 2008 is the new Infiniti EX35 compact crossover, which is Infiniti's entry into the compact luxury crossover market. The EX shares the G35's 3.5 liter, , V6 engine.

Carlos Ghosn unveiled Infiniti’s arrival in Europe at the Geneva Motor Show 2008. The official launch was late-2008, and was phased over a two year period across 21 European countries. Four models are offered in Europe: the next generation of the Infiniti FX37 and Infiniti FX50 performance SUV, the Infiniti G37, the Infiniti G37 coupe, and the Infiniti EX37 crossover. Infiniti Europe’s headquarters are based in Rolle, Switzerland.

2010s

Carlos Ghosn unveiled the Infiniti M at a hotel in Los Angeles. It shares the VQ37VHR from the Infiniti G, Infiniti EX, and Infiniti FX. Featured are new powertrains: the 5.6 L V8 (VK56VD) with VVEL, Gasoline direct injection, the Nissan-Renault V9X Engine V6 Turbo Diesel (only for Europe), and the newly developed hybrid that will include one electric motor and two clutches to allow the gas engine and electric motor to drive the rear wheels simultaneously. The lithium-ion battery pack will come from the Infiniti Essence.

At the 2010 Geneva Motor Show, Infiniti launched a new powertrain for Europe, with the new V9X Engine engine developed by the Nissan-Renault alliance group. The new engine is used in the Infiniti FX, Infiniti EX, and the new Infiniti M. The new Infiniti M made its European debut at the show.

In August 2010 Infiniti unveiled its new performance division named Infiniti Performance Line, or IPL.

In 2011, Infiniti chose to sponsor the Renault engines for Red Bull Racing for the 2011 Formula One season.

Nissan announced the return of front-wheel drive to the Infiniti lineup on August 30, 2011 with the release of the Infiniti JX. It will join Toyota's Lexus brand in terms of blending front-wheel drive and rear-wheel drive vehicles again, even though Toyota's Lexus brand has always done so since Toyota launched Lexus in 1990.

United States sales by calendar year

Year !! U.S. sales
2002	87,911
2003	118,655
2004	130,980
2005	136,401
2006	121,416
2007	127,038
2008	112,989
2009	81,089
2010	103,411

Models

Infiniti's model name designation includes one letter for coupés and sedans (two letters for SUVs) and a number reflecting engine displacement. For example, the QX56 is an SUV featuring a 5.6 L engine. An exception to this was the QX4 SUV, which featured a 3.3 L engine (1997–2000) and later a 3.5 L engine (2001–2003). An "x" following the engine displacement of Infiniti sedans denotes an all wheel drive model (e.g. Infiniti G35x), "s" denotes a sport package, "h" denotes a hybrid model, and a "t" for a Touring model (older models only).

Current

All current Infiniti coupes, sedans and crossovers are based on the Nissan FM platform. The center of the engine is placed behind the front wheels. This placement evens the weight distribution to improve braking, acceleration, and handling. It also reduces the polar moment of inertia. The exception is the QX56 full-size SUV that rides on the Nissan F-Alpha platform.

Infiniti G (G25/G25x sedan, G37 sedan/coupe/convertible/G37x sedan, IPL coupe/convertible)

Infiniti M (M35h, M37/M37x AWD and M56/M56x AWD variations, all sedans)

Infiniti EX (EX37 in Europe)

Infiniti FX (FX35, FX37 and FX50 variations)

Infiniti QX56 (SUV)

Past

Infiniti G20 (sedan)

Infiniti G35 (coupe and sedan)

Infiniti M30 (coupe and convertible)

Infiniti M35 (sedan)

Infiniti M45 (sedan)

Infiniti QX4 (SUV)

Discontinued

Infiniti J30 (sedan)

Infiniti I (I30, 1996–2001; I35, 2002–2004, all sedans)

Infiniti Q45 (sedan)

Concept vehicles

Infiniti Kuraza (Concept vehicle, no current plans for production)

Infiniti Essence (Concept vehicle, no current plans for production)

Future vehicles

Hybrid version of the M sedan

Diesel versions of the M sedan, EX and FX were unveiled at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show (for Europe only).

JX three-row crossover

Infiniti Performance Line

In August 2010, Infiniti unveiled its new performance division named Infiniti Performance Line, or IPL.

Motorsports

In 1996, Nissan launched an effort to compete in the Indy Racing League with the Infiniti brand. The engine chosen for the Indy cars was a race variant of the VH engine used the Q45s. The IRL program was quietly wrapped after the 2002 season after only a few wins. The Renault engines powering the Red Bull Racing 2011 F1 challenger was expected to be rebranded as an Infiniti engine, but the sponsorship deal did not extend to engine re-branding. Infiniti has signed Formula 1 World Champion Sebastian Vettel as its first global ambassador

References

External links

Infiniti.com - Official Infiniti Global site

InfinitiUSA.com - Official Infiniti USA site

Nissan Motor Corporation

Infinitihelp.com - Unofficial Infiniti site. Bulletins, Manuals, and Recalls

Category:Car manufacturers of Japan Category:Infiniti Category:Motor vehicle manufacturers of Japan Category:Japanese luxury motor vehicle marques Category:Automotive companies of Japan Category:Companies based in Tokyo Category:Companies established in 1989 Category:IndyCar engine manufacturers

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Name	Guru Josh
Birthname	Paul Walden
birth date	June 09, 1964
Background	non_performing_personnel
Genre	Acid House, Techno, Electro house
Years active	1981–present
Label	Deconstruction, Ministry of Sound,
Associated acts	Seal and Adamski
Website	Official Website }}

Paul Walden (born 6 June 1964), commonly known as Guru Josh, is an English musician currently performing under his own stage name as Guru Josh. Guru Josh was an original music icon of the British post-acid house music scene in 1990, most recognised for his debut single "Infinity," initially released in 1989 on Walden's record label, Infinity Records. The song was later re-released in 1990 by BMG Records, and remixed for re-release in 2008 by the German artist DJ Klaas.

Guru Josh is a Songwriter/Musician/Producer who creates his own music yet also performs live on Stage using a Roland G6 Keyboard accompanied by a saxophonist whilst playing a medley of his hits, he also is active in creating new tracks on a regular basis and on occasion also DJ's when required.

Guru Josh has now completed and is soon to release a 2011 remake of his hit single "Infinity" which is due to be released during summer 2011.

Early life

Walden is the son of a Jersey dentist, Harold Walden. After studying dentistry in 1981, he began his career as an entertainer and keyboard player at the Sands nightclub in Jersey, performing under the name of Syndrone and Animal and his Crazy Organs. Soon after, he joined forces with the likes of Seal and Adamski.

"Infinity"

In 1989, Guru Josh released "Infinity," also known as "Infinity (1990s... Time for the Guru)," from the album of the same name. The song achieved widespread success in Europe, especially in Germany, the UK, Portugal and Austria. The song was later re-mixed and re-released on multiple occasions (the most popular remix by Klaas), still receiving particular success in 2011.

Other work

Guru Josh released several other singles in 1990 including "Freaky Dreamer," "Holographic Dreams," and "Whose Law (Is It Anyway?)," which reached #26 and #12 in the United Kingdom and Germany, respectively. "Hallelujah" was released in 1991. Shortly after this, Guru Josh diversified into also doing multimedia production creating the ''Dance in Cyberspace'' series of music videos under the name of Dr. Devious and also VR, in collaboration with Darrel Jameson, Guy Labbé, Dave 'Flipping Mental' Evans, Marcus Pennell and others.

Guru Josh has been performing worldwide since 1989 at venues including Manumission, Es Paradis, Eden, Guaraná, and Atlántico. His music has also been featured on many of the leading music compilations released between 1990 and the present day.

In 2010 he released as Guru Josh a new single entitled 'Frozen Teardrops' featuring a new female vocalist by the name of "Lauren Hall", despite strong showings in digital download sales the single failed to find a place in the charts.

During March 2011 he has released another track called "Love of Life" which went on sale at the end of March 2011, this time dropping the trademark saxophone sounds for a more modern and punchy house style he has found remixers such as Sgt Slick from Australia, Digital Freq from Mexico and The Fusion & DJ Dima June from Russia all willing to put their stamp onto his song. Currently four versions have been released:- The Sgt Slick version being a club orientated version, Digital freq having offered an Electro House version and The Fusion & DJ Dima June having offered a softer more melodic tune and finally the radio edit which is loosely based on Digital Freq's base loops but with a much stronger reworking of the melody and chorus.

On top of continued success in his music career, Guru Josh has also recently created 3D glass art under the name of "Louie Fabrix", sold in small exhibitions in New York, Madrid, Paris and Berlin, receiving critical acclaim and huge appreciation from his fanbase.

Guru Josh Project

In 2007, Guru Josh Project was formed by Darren Bailie and signed by Big City Beats. The group consisted of Paul Walden, Anders Nyman, and Darren Bailie. In 2008, "Infinity" was re-released as "Infinity 2008", which was remixed by the German DJ Klaas. It experienced widespread success, peaking at No. 1 on the Belgian, Dutch and French and Danish singles charts, the Czech airplay chart and the Eurochart Hot 100.

Towards the end of 2008 / beginning of 2009 the members of The Guru Josh Project disbanded to pursue other individual interests.

Discography

Singles

Year

Single

Chart performance

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1989

Infinity (1990s...Time For The Guru)

1990

Whose Law (Is It Anyway?)

2008

Infinity 2008 (as ''Guru Josh Project'')

2009

Crying In The Rain (as ''Guru Josh Project'')

2010

Frozen Teardrops (as ''Guru Josh'')

2011

Love of Life (as ''Guru Josh'')

References

External links

Guru Josh Official website

Guru Josh at Discogs

The Guru Josh Project at Discogs

TranceSound interview, May 2010

Category:1964 births Category:Living people Category:British electronic musicians

de:Guru Josh et:Guru Josh es:Guru Josh fr:Guru Josh it:Guru Josh lv:Guru Josh nl:Guru Josh pl:Guru Josh pt:Guru Josh sk:Guru Josh fi:Guru Josh sv:Guru Josh tr:Guru Josh

name	Sebastian Vettel
nationality	German
birth date	July 03, 1987
2011 team	Red Bull Racing
2011 car number	1
races	74
championships	1 ()
wins	17
podiums	30
points	640
poles	24
fastest laps	7
first race	2007 United States Grand Prix
first win	2008 Italian Grand Prix
last win	2011 Belgian Grand Prix
last race
last season	2010
last position	1st (256 pts) }}

Sebastian Vettel (; born 3 July 1987) is a German Formula One racing driver, currently driving for Red Bull Racing. He is the current World Champion, having won in the 2010 season.

In his first year driving for Red Bull in he finished the season as the youngest ever championship runner-up. Vettel also secured Red Bull's first pole position and race win in the team's history. The following year he went on to become the youngest driver ever to win the World Drivers' Championship. In the same year he helped Red Bull win the team's first World Constructors' Championship, along with teammate Mark Webber.

Vettel is the youngest Formula One driver to drive at a Grand Prix meeting, at 19 years and 53 days, and on his race debut at the 2007 United States Grand Prix he also became the youngest driver to score championship points. While racing for Toro Rosso, Vettel became the youngest driver to lead a race, at the 2007 Japanese Grand Prix. During qualifying for the 2008 Italian Grand Prix, Vettel became the youngest Formula One driver to secure pole position. He went on to win the race, making him the youngest F1 race winner by nearly a year. He also is the first and only driver to win a race, secure pole position, and reach the podium in the history of the Toro Rosso team, including the twenty years it was known as the Minardi team.

Early and personal life

Vettel was born in Heppenheim, West Germany. He has one younger brother, Fabian, and two older sisters, Melanie and Stefanie. Vettel suggested in an interview that he was terrible at school; he also mentioned that his childhood heroes were "The three Michaels", who were Michael Schumacher, Michael Jackson and Michael Jordan. He stated that he wanted to be a singer like Michael Jackson but realised that he couldn't as he didn't have the voice. Vettel lives in Switzerland amongst other racing drivers and is a fan of German football team Eintracht Frankfurt.

Career

Junior series

Vettel started racing karts in 1995, winning various titles such as the Junior Monaco Kart Cup (2001). In 2003, he upgraded to open-wheel cars, and won the 2004 German Formula BMW Championship with 18 victories from 20 races. In 2005 he drove for ASL Mucke Motorsport in the Formula Three Euroseries. He was placed fifth in the final standings with 64 points, winning the year's top rookie honours. He did not win any races, but this was largely due to the championship's domination by ASM Formule 3. Despite this, he tested the Williams FW27 Formula One car on 27 September as a reward for this Formula BMW success. He then went on to test for the BMW Sauber team.

Vettel finished as runner-up in the 2006 F3 Euroseries, behind series leader and team mate Paul di Resta. He also made his debut in the World Series by Renault at Misano, winning after Pastor Maldonado was disqualified. However, at the next round at Spa-Francorchamps, his finger was almost sliced off by flying débris in an accident, and he was expected to be out of racing for several weeks. Nevertheless, he managed to compete in the Ultimate Masters of F3 at Zandvoort the following weekend, finishing in sixth place. He also set third fastest lap time, and it surprised his ASM team boss Frédéric Vasseur. Vasseur said: "I was impressed for sure, because at the beginning of the week I was sure he wouldn't race! But he showed good pace from the first practice session. I can't imagine he's 100 per cent but at least we know we can be competitive in the next F3 Euroseries round at the Nürburgring next weekend – that's important."

Vettel competed in the World Series by Renault in 2007, and took his first win at the Nürburgring. He was leading the championship when he was called up to Formula One permanently, and his seat was taken by Michael Ammermüller.

Formula One

2006–2007: BMW Sauber

2006

Vettel became BMW Sauber's third driver at the 2006 Turkish Grand Prix, when former incumbent Robert Kubica was called up to replace Jacques Villeneuve for the 2006 Hungarian Grand Prix.

Vettel impressed on his testing debut by setting fastest time in second Friday Free Practice before the race. The young German also impressed on his second testing session in the 2006 Italian Grand Prix, setting the fastest time in both Friday practice sessions, a race weekend in which all the BMW cars were quick, with his predecessor Robert Kubica finishing on the podium in the race.

2007

Vettel was confirmed as BMW's test driver for 2007. Following the serious crash of regular BMW driver Kubica at the , Vettel substituted for him at the . Vettel was pulled mid-season from the Formula Renault series, which he was leading at that time. He started in seventh position on the grid, finishing in eighth position to take his first World Championship point and became the youngest driver ever to score a point in Formula One (at the age of 19 years and 349 days), a record previously held by Jenson Button – who was 20 years and 67 days old when he finished sixth at the 2000 Brazilian Grand Prix.

2007–2008: Toro Rosso

2007

On 31 July 2007, BMW released Vettel to join Red Bull's Scuderia Toro Rosso team, replacing Scott Speed as one of its drivers from the onwards. He earned approximately US$165,000 for finishing the season with Toro Rosso. Before the race, it was also announced that Vettel would drive for Toro Rosso in , partnering Sébastien Bourdais.

Vettel struggled for his first couple of races while cutting his teeth with his new team, but managed two impressive drives in his 5th and 6th drives for Toro Rosso, a team that was averaging a little worse than 14th place in the 2007 season before Vettel's arrival. In the rain-hit at Fuji, Vettel worked his way up to third, behind Lewis Hamilton and Red Bull Racing's Mark Webber, and seemed to be on course for not only his but also Toro Rosso's maiden podium finish. However, Vettel crashed into Webber under safety car conditions taking them both out of the race and prompting Webber to say to ITV reporter Louise Goodman "It's kids isn't it... kids with not enough experience – they do a good job and then they fuck it all up." Webber also specifically criticized Lewis Hamilton's erratic behaviour in contributing to the accident, describing his antics behind the safety car as 'shit'." Vettel was initially punished with a ten-place grid penalty for the following race, but this was lifted after a spectator video on YouTube showed the incident may have been caused by Hamilton's behaviour behind the safety car. Vettel bounced back to finish a career-best fourth a week later at the having started 17th on the grid while in mixed conditions. He collected five championship points, making it both his and Toro Rosso's best race result.

Red Bull owner Dietrich Mateschitz stated his belief Vettel would be one of Formula One's big stars in the future. "Vettel is one of the young guys with extraordinary potential [...] He is fast, he is intelligent, and he is very interested in the technical side."

2008

After four races of the 2008 season, Vettel was the only driver to have failed to finish a single race, having retired on the first lap in three of them. In each of these three instances, he was involved in accidents caused by other drivers, the other being an engine failure. However, at the fifth round at the , he finally saw the chequered flag, albeit finishing in 17th after qualifying 14th and suffering a puncture on the opening lap. In the next race at the , Vettel scored his first points of the season with a fifth place finish, after qualifing 17th. He scored again at the fighting off Heikki Kovalainen in the last few laps for the final championship point, having started from pit lane. Vettel finished 12th in France, before retiring on lap one at the wet after being clipped by David Coulthard and aquaplaned into the gravel trap along with Coulthard. He earned another point at the , fending off Fernando Alonso and securing eighth after Jarno Trulli ran wide. Vettel retired in Hungary after his engine overheated during his first pit stop. He impressed many at the by setting the fastest times in the first practice session and second qualifying session, before qualifying sixth on the grid. Vettel finished the race in sixth, two seconds behind Jarno Trulli.

At the 2008 Italian Grand Prix, Vettel became the youngest driver in history to win a Formula One Grand Prix. Aged 21 years and 74 days, Vettel broke the record set by Fernando Alonso at the 2003 Hungarian Grand Prix by 317 days as he won in wet conditions at Monza. Vettel led for the majority of the Grand Prix and crossed the finish line 12.5 seconds ahead of McLaren's Heikki Kovalainen. It was the first podium and win for his Toro Rosso team. Earlier in the weekend, he had already become the youngest polesitter, after setting the fastest times in both Q2 and Q3 qualifying stages, and his win also gave him the record of youngest podium-finisher. Toro Rosso team boss Gerhard Berger said, "As he proved today, he can win races, but he's going to win world championships. He's a cool guy". Hamilton praised the German, stating that this victory showed "how good he is". The nature of the victory and the story of the 21 year old's fledgling career led the German media to dub him "baby Schumi", although Vettel was quick to downplay the expectation the result has brought, particularly the comparison with the seven-time World Champion: "To compare me with Michael Schumacher is just a bit ridiculous...It will be difficult in normal conditions for us to repeat this achievement". He then went on to finish fifth in Singapore. In Japan, he finished sixth after being promoted from seventh after team-mate Bourdais was penalised for contact with Felipe Massa.

In the , after running second for much of the race on a one-stop strategy, Vettel overtook Lewis Hamilton in the rain for fifth place on the penultimate lap to contribute to a thrilling climax to the season. He nearly deprived the McLaren driver of the championship before Timo Glock slowed dramatically on the last lap (he was struggling with dry tyres in the ever increasing rain) enabling both Vettel and Hamilton to pass him, earning Hamilton the title, and Vettel fourth place.

After the season had finished Vettel was named Autosport Rookie of the Year.

Red Bull Racing

2009

At the start of the 2009 season, Vettel replaced the retired David Coulthard at Red Bull Racing, and began strongly at the , qualifying third and running in second for the majority of the race. However, a clash with Robert Kubica over second place on the third to last lap of the race forced both to retire. Vettel attempted to finish the race on three wheels behind the safety car to salvage some points, but eventually pulled off to the side. He thought that he would be able to attempt this because the yellow flag resulting from his incident forbids overtaking; instead he was given a ten-place grid penalty for the next race, the , and his team was fined for instructing him to stay on track after the damage occurred. In Malaysia he qualified in third position, but was demoted down to 13th due to his ten-place grid drop. He spun out of the race while eighth, just before the race was stopped due to adverse weather conditions. However in China he went on to take pole position, the first for the Red Bull Racing team. He went on to win the race ahead of team-mate Mark Webber, again a first for his team, which scored its first victory and one-two finish in the same race. At the age of 21 years and 287 days, Vettel became the youngest Grand Prix driver in history to win for two different teams, having won the 2008 Italian Grand Prix for the Torro Rosso-team.

In the , Vettel qualified in third, and finished second behind Jenson Button in the race. In Spain, he qualified in second but finished the race in fourth, behind his team-mate Mark Webber who finished in third. Vettel won the after claiming pole position in qualifying. At the he qualified fourth and finished second, behind Webber, who won his first Grand Prix. At the , Vettel qualified second after an eventful qualifying, but had to retire from the race on lap 30 after his car sustained damage from contact with Kimi Räikkönen's car on the first lap.

At the , he qualified fourth but had to retire from the race with an engine failure. It was the second engine failure for Vettel during the weekend, and the RB5's reliability issues began to show. He finished third at Spa-Francorchamps, and struggled for pace at Monza, finishing 8th at a race he previously won. He qualified 2nd at Singapore, but was given a drive-though penalty for speeding in the pit lane and damaged the diffuser on a kerb, struggling to 4th. He subsequently won the from pole position.

At the , Vettel qualified 16th in a rain-hit session, behind title rival Jenson Button (14th) and Rubens Barrichello (1st), while his team-mate Webber qualified second with Adrian Sutil in third. Vettel needed to score at least second place in the race to keep his title hopes alive. He finished fourth with Button behind, giving Button the Championship and moving Vettel up into second place. He officially claimed second place by winning the inaugural Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, again ahead of Webber with Button completing the podium. He also scored his third fastest lap of the year, drawing him level with team-mate Webber. However, as Vettel had more second fastest laps, he won the 2009 DHL Fastest Lap Award.

2010

Vettel continued with Red Bull for 2010, and took the first pole position of the season at the . Vettel went on to lead most of the race but a spark-plug failure meant that his lap times slowed down, and as a result the two Ferraris and the McLaren of Lewis Hamilton passed him. After a brief challenge from Rosberg he brought the car home in fourth.

At the , Vettel was appointed as a director of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association. He took his second consecutive pole position in Australia, ahead of team-mate Mark Webber, but spun off when leading the race, due to a loose wheel nut. In Malaysia, he took his first win of the 2010 season with Webber coming in second place, having passed both him and Nico Rosberg at turn one.

Vettel qualified on pole at China alongside Webber. At the start of the wet race Fernando Alonso jump-started and Vettel was passed by Webber, dropping back to third. The increasing rain forced Vettel and Webber to pit at the same time for intermediate tyres that wore out after only a few laps and dropped them back into the midfield. Vettel slowly climbed back up to finish sixth, ahead of Webber. In Spain, Vettel was outqualified by team-mate Webber and claimed second on the grid. Despite having a major brake problem during the last eight laps, Vettel managed third place after Hamilton crashed on the penultimate lap.

In Monaco Vettel was again outqualified by Webber. In the race he passed Kubica at the start and stayed there for the remainder of the Grand Prix and made it a Red Bull 1–2. After the race the two Red Bull drivers were equal on points in the drivers' championship, with Webber championship leader based on total wins. At the he qualified third and was running second behind Webber when he made a passing move on the Australian. Vettel lost control of his car and the two collided, putting Vettel out of the race and dropping him to fifth in the drivers' championship, with neither driver accepting responsibility for causing the collision. He finished fourth at the , maintaining his position in the standings. He started the in pole position and led from start to finish to score his second win of the season.

At Silverstone, both Vettel and Webber's cars were fitted with a new design of front wing. Vettel's front wing was damaged in the third practice session, and Webber's sole surviving example was removed and given to Vettel. Vettel qualified in pole position ahead of his team-mate, but suffered a puncture caused by driving wide off the track on the first lap of the race and fell to the tail of the field. He fought back to finish seventh while Webber took the victory. At the he took pole by 0.002 seconds, and finished in third position in the race, behind the Ferraris of Alonso and Felipe Massa, after a poor start. He also finished third in Hungary after serving a drive-through penalty for exceeding ten lengths behind the previous car, team-mate Webber, under neutralised safety car conditions. In Belgium, he had a tough race, hitting Button's car whilst attempting to pass, causing Button to retire. Vettel pitted and carried on, but then suffered a puncture whilst passing Liuzzi at the same place, completing a whole lap with a puncture. He eventually finished 15th, which was (other than his retirements in Australia and Turkey) was his worst finish of the season. At Monza he finished fourth after an engine problem scare, and at the , Vettel qualified and finished second, sticking on Alonso's tail for most of the race. He passed Button for fourth place in the championship. At the , he dominated all practice sessions bar one, as it was postponed after heavy rain. He qualified on pole ahead of team mate Webber and went on to win with a lights-to-flag victory. Aged 23 years and 98 days, Vettel became the youngest Grand Prix driver to win at the same track on two occasions, having also won the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka in 2009. At the first , Vettel took pole and led the first 45 laps of the race before retiring with engine failure, handing victory to Alonso.

At the , Vettel qualified second but took the lead at the first corner and led for the entire race to victory. With Webber taking second place, and Alonso finishing third, Vettel went into the final race of the season with a 15-point deficit to Alonso, and a 7-point gap to Webber. With the one-two finish in Brazil, Vettel and Webber secured Red Bull Racing's first Formula One World Constructors' Championship. He won the from pole again, to take the drivers' championship lead for the first time in his career and became the youngest world champion in the sport's history. Following James Hunt in the 1976 season, this was also only the second time in Formula One history when the World Champion had not been championship leader at any earlier point in the season.

2011

After the postponement of the , Vettel started his title defence in style in the with pole position and a victory of 22 seconds over title rival Lewis Hamilton, who was nursing home his broken McLaren. Vettel continued his title defence in the , where he claimed pole position and went on to win the race. Vettel completed his third pole position of the season at the , and appeared to be in dominating form for the majority of the race. However, poor tyre management haunted him in the last several laps, possibly being related to him being unable to properly communicate with his team as his radio was broken. He finished the race second, his championship lead cut to 21 points, by Hamilton, after three races.

The started out poorly for Vettel, where he had very little practice time during the Friday free practice sessions, including a crash in the first session. Even with the limited practice, he claimed his fifth consecutive pole position and converted it into a win, extending his championship lead over Hamilton to 34 points. At the , his pole position streak ended as his KERS failed him during qualifying. His teammate Webber took pole, but Vettel went on to win the race by 0.6 seconds over Hamilton, despite having to deal with a frequently malfunctioning KERS. The following weekend, in the , he took pole with the second fastest qualifying time in Monaco's history. Vettel was leading the race with a 5 second gap to second placed Button. Due to a radio malfunction the Red Bull pit crew was not prepared for Vettel when he pitted. The net result was that the pitstop was slow, and that he was sent out on the wrong tyres, handing the lead to Button as well. Vettel switched to a one-stop strategy, and stuck with one set of soft tyres for 56 laps. He was caught by Alonso and Button as his tyres deteriorated, but neither were able to pass him. With a few laps remaining, the race was red-flagged after Vitaly Petrov required an ambulance after an accident. The suspended race allowed teams to change tyres and work on the cars, and when the race was restarted under the safety car, Vettel was able to retain the lead during the last few laps.

In Canada, he took his sixth pole position in seven races ahead of Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa. Vettel kept his lead from the start of the race, and for the vast majority of the race he held on to it. The record six safety car periods due to the down-pouring rain and 2 hour race suspension profoundly hurt Vettel's chances of victory, however, as after every safety car restart Vettel would lose the gap he had previously built up on the other drivers. With much fresher tyres, Button caught Vettel and began to pressure him in the last lap. Vettel slid on a damp part of the track at Turn 6, and Button used the opportunity to slip past him to take the victory. Vettel finished second, extending his championship lead to 60 points ahead of Button.

At the , the FIA began enforcing a controversial ban on engine mappings. It was believed by many in the press that it was an attempt by the FIA to thwart Vettel's domination of the season. The changes appeared to do little to hinder Vettel, as he took pole with the fastest qualifying lap in the track's history. He dominated the race with his first triple of 2011 with pole, fastest lap, and won his sixth race out of eight races. It was the first time in Formula One history where, in the first eight races, a driver finished first in six or more races and second or better in the remaining races.

The second set of controversial mid-season changes were implemented at Silverstone, targeting the blown diffusers. Red Bull believed the changes cost them about half a second per lap. Webber just edged Vettel for pole position by 0.032 seconds in qualifying. On race day, Vettel made a better start, immediately took the lead and led the first half of the race. A delay at one of his pit stops gave the race lead to Alonso, who passed him in the pit lane, and dropped Vettel back to third, behind Hamilton. Despite a malfunctioning KERS unit, he was able to jump Hamilton in the stops and held off the faster Webber, who ignored a radio message from team principal Christian Horner to hold position, for second place, extending his lead in the championship.

Vettel's run of fourteen successive front-row starts and eleven successive top two finishes ended at his home race, where he qualified third and finished fourth. McLaren's mechanical grip outclassed Red Bull in the wet in Hungary, and despite leading into the first corner from pole, he was quickly passed by both Hamilton and Button. Vettel eventually finished second in the race, held in mixed conditions. In Belgium, Vettel qualified on pole and won the race, his seventh victory of the season and seventeenth of his career. In victory, Vettel extended his lead in the championship to 92 points and, even with seven races left, his 259 point haul surpassed his own record, from for the highest number of championship points accumulated in a season.

Future

On 21 August 2009 it was announced that Red Bull and Vettel have extended his contract until the end of the season with an option for . The option was taken up on 14 March 2011, as Vettel extended his contract with the team until the end of 2014. Vettel has mentioned he would like to at some point in his career drive for Ferrari and Mercedes, while Red Bull believes he will stay with them for as long as they supply a competitive car.

Race of Champions

Vettel competed in the 2007 Race of Champions at Wembley Stadium, representing the German team alongside Michael Schumacher. Vettel and Schumacher won the Nations' Cup Title, after exciting finals. Vettel had to beat two RoC champions, Heikki Kovalainen and Marcus Grönholm, after Schumacher stalled his car. Vettel lost the individual competition however, in first heat, in his second battle against Kovalainen. Vettel also competed in the 2008 Race of Champions, alongside Michael Schumacher. Once again they won the Nations' Cup Title after a close final against Scandinavia. In the Driver's Cup, Vettel beat Troy Bayliss in Round One, but lost to Sébastien Loeb in the Quarter-Finals. Again Vettel teamed up with Michael Schumacher for the 2009 RoC Nations Cup, which they went on to win in a run-off against the Great Britain team of Jenson Button and Andy Priaulx. In the 2010 edition, on home ground in Düsseldorf, Vettel again teamed up with Schumacher to win the Nations Cup for the fourth time in a row. In the Driver's Cup, Vettel was eliminated in the semi-finals by Filipe Albuquerque, who went on to win the event.

Top Gear

Vettel holds the fastest lap-time for a Formula One driver on BBC2's ''Top Gear'' programme in the "Star in a Reasonably-Priced Car" segment, with a lap of 1:44.0, beating previous holder Rubens Barrichello, as well as the old Stig, Ben Collins.

Helmet design

Vettel's helmet, like most Red Bull-backed drivers, is heavily influenced by the energy drink company logo.

New to Vettel's helmet since the start of 2008 has been the incorporation of the red cross of the Kreis Bergstraße coat of arms on the front, just underneath the visor, in honour of the region of his birthplace, Heppenheim.

During pre-season testing for 2010, Vettel debuted a helmet resembling a Red Bull drink can complete with graphics of a stay-tab opener on top—which would become a recurring element in his helmets for this season. During the 2010 season, Vettel has used three main helmet designs, although he made some minor changes to some in certain races: besides his standard black helmet, he has used one with the same design but in chrome colors. For the 2010 Japanese Grand Prix, Vettel had a special white-red helmet design, with black kanji and hiragana for "gives you wings". In 2011 he uses his traditional helmet, with some changes, like the black top and chin area with blue stylized dots, similar to his black helmet used in 2010.

Comparison to Michael Schumacher

After Vettel's unexpected win in Monza, this led for the media to dub him the "Baby Schumi", "New Schumacher", but Vettel plays down the comparison stating he wanted to be the "New Vettel". He was not just dubbed for his nationality but also because of his driving style, his concentration and the hands-on role he plays behind the scenes with his team of engineers. One difference is that Schumacher does not name his car but Vettel does, Julie (2008), Kate, Kate's Dirty Sister (2009), Luscious Liz, Randy Mandy (2010) and Kinky Kylie (2011).

Nevertheless, the similarities are marked. Like Schumacher, Vettel grew up in a small town with an everyday background—Schumacher's father a bricklayer and Vettel's a carpenter. Both had their first taste of racing at the Kerpen karting track near Cologne, not far from the Nürburgring. Vettel began driving in his garden lapping the garden many times, not even stopping to eat or shower, before he could legally take to the roads, and says his passion for cars was nurtured by watching Schumacher compete. He did not know that he would actually get to race his hero.

Both Schumacher and Vettel impressed in their debut races, both of which took place in the middle of a Formula One season. Neither would ever drive for their debut teams again. Instead, both immediately joined with non-manufacturer teams based upon selling non-automobile related products. Approximately a year after joining their new teams, as underdogs they would stun the Formula One world by winning races in cars few believed capable of winning. In their third full Formula One season and both driving cars numbered 5, both won their first World Drivers' Championship, at which point both drivers had 10 Grand Prix wins on their records. Vettel became the youngest ever driver to win the World Drivers' Championship, while Schumacher, by a little over a week, only narrowly missed out on achieving the very same feat. Both drivers won their non-manufacturer teams' maiden World Drivers' Championship as well as World Constructors' Championship.

After winning his first championship in 2010, and being hailed as the 'Next Schumacher', Vettel has stated he does not want to aim for Schumacher's record after learning how hard it was to get one championship under his belt, though he would like to win more.

Racing record

Career summary

! Season	! Series	! Team	! Races	! Wins	! Poles	! F/Laps	! Podiums	! Points	! Position
! 2003	align=left		19	5	5	4	12	216
! 2004	align=left	align=left	20	18	14	13	20	387
2005	align=left	align=left rowspan="2"	20	0	0	1	5	57	5th
align=left	1	0	0	0	0	N/A	11th
align=left		1	0	0	0	1	8	15th
	align=left	1	0	0	0	1	N/A
align=left	align=left
2006	align=left	align=left rowspan="2"	20	4	1	5	9	75
	1	0	0	0	0	N/A	23rd
align=left		3	1	1	0	2	28	15th
align=left	align=left	1	0	0	0	0	N/A	6th
align=left	align=left
2007	align=left		7	1	1	1	4	74	5th
align=left rowspan="2"	align=left	1	0	0	0	0
	7	0	0	0	0
! 2008	align=left		18	1	1	0	1	35	8th
! 2009	align=left		17	4	4	3	8	84
! 2010	align=left		19	5	10	3	10	256
! 2011	align=left		12	7	9	1	11	259*

Season in progress.

Complete Formula 3 Euro Series results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)

! Year

! Entrant

! Chassis

! Engine

! 1

! 2

! 3

! 4

! 5

! 6

! 7

! 8

! 9

! 10

! 11

! 12

! 13

! 14

! 15

! 16

! 17

! 18

! 19

! 20

! DC

! Points

Mücke Motorsport>ASL Mücke Motorsport

! Dallara F305/011

Mercedes-Benz in motorsport>Mercedes

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! 5th

! 57

ART Grand Prix>ASM Formule 3

! Dallara F305/059

Mercedes-Benz in motorsport>Mercedes

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Complete Formula Renault 3.5 Series results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)

! Year

! Entrant

! 1

! 2

! 3

! 4

! 5

! 6

! 7

! 8

! 9

! 10

! 11

! 12

! 13

! 14

! 15

! 16

! 17

! DC

! Points

! Carlin Motorsport

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! 15th

! 28

! Carlin Motorsport

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! 5th

! 74

Complete Formula One results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; Races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)

! Year

! Entrant

! Chassis

! Engine

! 1

! 2

! 3

! 4

! 5

! 6

! 7

! 8

! 9

! 10

! 11

! 12

! 13

! 14

! 15

! 16

! 17

! 18

! 19

! WDC

List of Formula One World Championship points scoring systems>Points

BMW Sauber>BMW Sauber F1 Team

BMW Sauber BMW Sauber F1.06>F1.06

!

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! –

! –

BMW Sauber F1 Team">BMW in Formula One

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BMW Sauber F1 Team

BMW Sauber BMW Sauber F1.07>F1.07

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14th

6

! [[Scuderia Toro Rosso">BMW in Formula One

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14th

6

! [[Scuderia Toro Rosso

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[[Scuderia Toro Rosso">Scuderia Toro Rosso

! [[Scuderia Ferrari

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[[Scuderia Toro Rosso

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35

! [[Scuderia Toro Rosso

! [[Scuderia Ferrari

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! [[Red Bull Racing">Scuderia Toro Rosso

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! [[Scuderia Toro Rosso

! [[Scuderia Ferrari

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! [[Red Bull Racing

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! [[Red Bull Racing">Red Bull Racing

! [[Renault F1

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! [[Red Bull Racing

! [[Red Bull Racing

! [[Renault F1

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Season in progress.

Formula One records

Vettel holds the following Formula One records:

! Record	! Achieved
Most consecutive top two results (in both qualifying and race)	11 results ([[2010 Brazilian Grand Prix
Most consecutive top two results (in both qualifying and race), from the start of the season	9 results ([[2011 Australian Grand Prix
Most consecutive top two finishes from the start of the season	9 finishes (Australia 2011 – 2011 Great Britain)(record shared with Fernando Alonso (Bahrain 2006 – Canada 2006))
	2007 United States Grand Prix (17 June 2007, aged 19 years, 349 days)
	2007 Japanese Grand Prix (30 September 2007, aged 20 years, 89 days)
	2008 Italian Grand Prix (13 September 2008, aged 21 years, 72 days)
	2009 British Grand Prix (aged 21 years, 353 days)

References

External links

Sebastian Vettel official site

Profile – from Formula 1 official website

Profile – from BBC F1

Profile – from ESPN

Vettel's career details

Maximilian Götz | title=Formula BMW ADACDrivers' Champion | after= Nico Hülkenberg| years=2004}} Heikki KovalainenMarcus Grönholm|after= Incumbent|years= 2007–2010 with:Michael Schumacher}} Jenson Button20 years, 67 days(2000 Brazilian GP) | after = Incumbent}} Fernando Alonso21 years, 237 days(2003 Malaysian GP) | after = Incumbent}} Fernando Alonso21 years, 236 days(2003 Malaysian GP) | title = Youngest Grand Prix Pole PositionWinner | after = Incumbent | years = 21 years, 72 days(2008 Italian Grand Prix)}} Fernando Alonso21 years, 237 days(2003 Malaysian GP) | title = Youngest Driver to score aPodium Position in Formula One | after = Incumbent | years = 21 years, 73 days(2008 Italian Grand Prix)}} Fernando Alonso22 years, 26 days(2003 Hungarian GP) | title = Youngest Grand Prix Winner | after = Incumbent | years = 21 years, 73 days(2008 Italian Grand Prix)}} Lewis Hamilton'''22 years, 287 days(2007 season) | after = Incumbent | years = 22 years, 121 days(2009 season)}} Lewis Hamilton'''23 years, 300 days(2008 season) | after = Incumbent | years = 23 years, 133 days(2010 season)}} Lewis Hamilton | title = AutosportRookie of the Year | after = Kris Meeke| years =2008}} Robert Kubica|title=Lorenzo Bandini Trophy|years=2009|after= Lewis Hamilton}} Kimi Räikkönen|title=DHL Fastest Lap Award|years=|after= Fernando Alonso}} Jenson Button|title=AutosportInternational Driver of the Year|after=Incumbent|years=2010}} }}

Category:1987 births Category:Formula BMW ADAC drivers Category:Formula One World Drivers' Champions Category:Formula Renault 3.5 Series drivers Category:Formula Three Euroseries drivers Category:German Formula One drivers Category:Red Bull Racing Category:German racecar drivers Category:Kart racing drivers Category:Living people Category:People from Kreis Bergstraße Category:Spanish Formula Three Championship drivers Category:Monaco Grand Prix winners

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