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 the championship in and .
In his first year driving for Red Bull in , Vettel finished the season as the youngest-ever World Drivers' championship runner-up. He 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. He followed up his first championship with a second in , becoming the youngest double as well as youngest consecutive champion.
Vettel holds numerous other "youngest" Formula One records, among them: the youngest driver to have taken part in an official practice session of a Grand Prix, to score championship points, to lead a race, to secure pole position, and to win a race.
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, but he actually earned his Abitur (high school diploma) with a respectable grade. He also mentioned that his childhood heroes were "The three Michaels", who were
Michael Schumacher,
Michael Jordan and
Michael Jackson. He stated that he wanted to be a singer like Michael Jackson but realised that he could not as he did not have the voice. Vettel is also a fan of
The Beatles, collecting several records, including
Abbey Road and his favourite song being Drive My Car. In an interview on ''
Top Gear'', Vettel stated that he was a fan of British comedy such as ''
Little Britain'' and ''
Monty Python's Life of Brian''. Vettel lives in Switzerland amongst other racing drivers and is a fan of
German football team
Eintracht Frankfurt. Vettel has described himself as competitive, private and impatient. Vettel also appears in advertisements for
Head & Shoulders. In the German version of ''
Cars 2'', Vettel featured as a voice-over.
Early career
Junior series
Vettel started racing karts in 1995, winning various titles such as the Junior Monaco Kart Cup in 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 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 the 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. His seat was taken by Michael Ammermüller.
Formula One
2006–2007: BMW Sauber
2006
Vettel became BMW Sauber 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.
On his testing debut, Vettel set the fastest time in the second Friday Free Practice before the race. In his second testing session in the 2006 Italian Grand Prix, he set 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 , alongside
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 – you 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 qualifying 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 when 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 as high as second in the race on a 3-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 Toro 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, leading every lap and only being denied of the fastest lap by 0.002 seconds by teammate Mark Webber, who did so on the final lap. He would have to wait until the 2011 Indian Grand Prix until he finally achieved a Grand Chelem.
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. 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 pipped Hamilton for pole position by a tenth of a second, and went on to win the race from Jenson Button. 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, as Hamilton chased him down at the end on prime tyres, despite Vettel 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, yet still extended 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 tally of 259 points surpassed his own record, from for the highest number of championship points accumulated in a season. At the at Monza, he took his tenth pole position of the year – joining Ayrton Senna as the only drivers to have taken ten pole positions in two separate seasons – and the 25th of his career, and eventually won the race after passing Alonso, who had overtaken Vettel at the start. Vettel led every lap from pole position in Singapore, despite a safety car period eliminating a 22 second lead that he had held. His ninth win of the season left only Jenson Button in championship contention, who was 124 points behind with five races remaining.
Vettel arrived in Japan needing only a single championship point, tenth place, to secure his second championship. In qualifying, Vettel recorded his twelfth pole position of the season, his fifth in succession, edging Button by 0.009 seconds. In the race Vettel held the lead until the second pit-stop phase, when Button used the undercut to get past. He remained second after a safety car restart, but because he his tyres wore out not long after that, he slipped down to third behind Alonso. He tried to fight Alonso for the position, but after not getting past his race engineer told him to hold position to take the championship. Another podium secured his second successive title with four races remaining, making him the youngest ever double World Champion and also the youngest back-to-back Champion, joining only eight other drivers who had won consecutive titles. In Korea, Vettel started second, but won the race – becoming the second driver to take at least ten wins in a season after Michael Schumacher – after overtaking Lewis Hamilton on the first lap, building a healthy gap for the rest of the race and securing the fastest lap of the race, on the final lap. He helped secure Red Bull's second successive Constructors' World Championship in the process. Vettel took his eleventh victory of the season in the inaugural Indian Grand Prix, leading every lap from pole position, as well as setting the race's fastest lap on the final lap, despite Red Bull turning down his engine in an effort not to risk the race victory.
At the , Vettel took his fourteenth pole position of 2011 to equal the record of poles in a season set by Nigel Mansell in . Vettel had a good start to maintain the lead by the first corner, but at the second corner, a right rear puncture saw him go sliding off the track. He returned to the pits, but suspension damage forced his first retirement since the 2010 Korean Grand Prix. Vettel then broke the record for the most poles in a season at the next round, the season finale in Brazil. He maintained his lead into the first corner but was slowed by gearbox trouble early in the race. He allowed teammate Webber to pass him as his problem worsened, but eventually finished second ahead of Button to complete a 1–2 for the team upon Webber's only victory of the year. Vettel completed the year with 15 poles, 11 victories and 17 podiums from 19 races; he also gained a total of 392 points in the process.
2012
Vettel remained at Red Bull for the 2012 season, and is again partnered by Mark Webber. He scored a second place finish at the opening race of the season in Australia. Vettel started round 2 in Malaysia fifth on the grid, promoted from sixth after Kimi Räikkönen suffered a 5-place grid penalty. Vettel spent the majority of the rain-affected race in fourth place, before lapping the HRT of Narain Karthikeyan on lap 47, Vettel received a puncture in this collision, dropping him to 12th, he finished 11th after Pastor Maldonado retired late in the race with an engine failure. This was Vettel's first finish outside the points since the 2010 Belgian Grand Prix; Karthikeyan was given a 20 second post-race penalty for his part in the collision, which dropped Karthikeyan from 21st to 22nd and last.
Post-race Vettel and Red Bull boss Christian Horner criticised Karthikeyan's driving, with Vettel calling Karthikeyan an "idiot". Karthikeyan hit back at Vettel, calling him a "cry-baby". Later, Kartikeyan decided to call a truce with Vettel, stating his respect for Vettel's abilties and saying "I think we have to deal with it in a mature way and forget about it."
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, while Red Bull believes he will stay with them for as long as they supply a competitive car. Prior to the Japanese Grand Prix, Red Bull's advisor Helmut Marko expressed his wish to extend Vettel's contract for another two years, to 2016.
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.
In 2011, Vettel and Schumacher completed their fifth consecutive Nations Cup win, beating the Nordic team of Tom Kristensen and Juho Hänninen 2–0 in the final. In the semi-finals, Vettel had to beat both Andy Priaulx and Jenson Button, after Schumacher lost to Button.
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, and 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 regular changes, like the black top and chin area with blue stylized dots, similar to his black helmet used in 2010. Helmet manufacturer Arai have said that Vettel 'retires' a helmet design after each win.
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), Kinky Kylie (2011), and Abbey (2012).
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, and both drivers qualified seventh. Neither would ever drive for their debut teams again. Instead, both immediately joined with non-manufacturer teams founded upon sales of 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. They would both add extra victories to their names in the following season before their cars' performance improved. 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 , and being hailed as the 'Next Schumacher', Vettel has stated he did not want to aim for Schumacher's record after learning how hard it was to get one championship under his belt, though he would have liked to win more. It was in their next seasons that the two drivers began to dominate the sport, both clinching their second successive title before the season was finished, (unlike the previous year) in only their fourth full season. Both drivers became the youngest ever double World Champion at the time, by doing this.
Infiniti FX Sebastian Vettel version
In early 2011, Red Bull Racing's sponsor and partner
Infiniti entered into discussions with Vettel regarding the possibility of a Formula One-inspired
Infiniti FX. Vettel, who already owned his own FX50, expressed his interest in the performance capabilities of the FX platform, and as a result of six months of intense research and development, the 2012 Infiniti FX Sebastian Vettel Version Concept was officially unveiled at the
Frankfurt Motor Show on 13 September 2011. On 10 October 2011, Infiniti confirmed that the FX Sebastian Vettel version would go into production.
Honours
In February 2012 Vettel was honoured with the highest
sports award in Germany, the ''
Silberne Lorbeerblatt'' – Silver Bay Laurel Leaf – in recognition of his multiple world titles and his exemplary character.
Racing record
Career summary
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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 |
|
19
|
11
|
15
|
3
|
17
|
392
|
|
! 2012
|
align=left |
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
18
|
! 6th*
|
* 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
|
bgcolor="#cfcfff" |
bgcolor="#dfffdf" |
bgcolor="#dfffdf" |
bgcolor="#cfcfff" |
style="background:#000; color:white;" |
bgcolor="#cfcfff" |
bgcolor="#cfcfff" |
bgcolor="#cfcfff" |
bgcolor="#dfffdf" |
bgcolor="#dfffdf" |
bgcolor="#dfdfdf" |
bgcolor="#dfffdf" |
bgcolor="#cfcfff" |
bgcolor="#dfdfdf" |
bgcolor="#dfdfdf" |
bgcolor="#dfdfdf" |
bgcolor="#ffdf9f" |
bgcolor="#cfcfff" |
bgcolor="#cfcfff" |
bgcolor="#ffdf9f" |
! 5th
|
! 57
|
|
ART Grand Prix>ASM Formule 3
|
! Dallara F305/059
|
Mercedes-Benz in motorsport>Mercedes
|
bgcolor="#dfffdf" |
bgcolor="#ffffbf" |
bgcolor="#ffdf9f" |
bgcolor="#dfffdf" |
bgcolor="#dfffdf" |
bgcolor="#cfcfff" |
bgcolor="#dfdfdf" |
bgcolor="#dfffdf" |
bgcolor="#dfdfdf" |
bgcolor="#efcfff" |
bgcolor="#ffffbf" |
bgcolor="#ffffbf" |
bgcolor="#cfcfff" |
bgcolor="#cfcfff" |
bgcolor="#ffffbf" |
bgcolor="#efcfff" |
bgcolor="#cfcfff" |
bgcolor="#cfcfff" |
bgcolor="#ffdf9f" |
bgcolor="#cfcfff" |
|
|
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
bgcolor="#ffffbf" |
bgcolor="#dfdfdf" |
bgcolor="#efcfff" |
bgcolor="#ffffff" |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
! 15th
|
! 28
|
|
! Carlin Motorsport
|
bgcolor="#dfffdf" |
bgcolor="#ffdf9f" |
bgcolor="#ffffbf" |
bgcolor="#dfffdf" |
bgcolor="#dfdfdf" |
bgcolor="#dfffdf" |
bgcolor="#ffdf9f" |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
! 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
|
! 20
|
! 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
|
!
| bgcolor="#f0f8ff" |
bgcolor="#f0f8ff" |
bgcolor="#f0f8ff" |
bgcolor="#f0f8ff" |
|
|
! –
|
! –
|
|
BMW Sauber F1 Team">BMW in Formula One |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
bgcolor="#f0f8ff" |
bgcolor="#f0f8ff" |
bgcolor="#f0f8ff" |
bgcolor="#f0f8ff" |
bgcolor="#f0f8ff" |
|
|
! –
|
! –
|
|
BMW Sauber F1 Team
|
BMW Sauber BMW Sauber F1.07>F1.07
|
!
| bgcolor="#f0f8ff" |
|
|
|
|
bgcolor="#dfffdf" |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
14th
|
6
|
! [[Scuderia Toro Rosso">BMW in Formula One |
bgcolor="#f0f8ff" |
bgcolor="#f0f8ff" |
|
|
|
|
bgcolor="#dfffdf" |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
14th
|
6
|
! [[Scuderia Toro Rosso
|
!
| bgcolor="#cfcfff" |
bgcolor="#cfcfff" |
bgcolor="#efcfff" |
bgcolor="#efcfff" |
bgcolor="#dfffdf" |
bgcolor="#efcfff" |
|
|
|
|
[[Scuderia Toro Rosso">Scuderia Toro Rosso |
! [[Scuderia Ferrari |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
bgcolor="#cfcfff" |
bgcolor="#cfcfff" |
bgcolor="#cfcfff" |
bgcolor="#efcfff" |
bgcolor="#efcfff" |
bgcolor="#dfffdf" |
bgcolor="#efcfff" |
|
|
|
|
[[Scuderia Toro Rosso
|
!
| bgcolor="#efcfff" |
bgcolor="#efcfff" |
bgcolor="#efcfff" |
bgcolor="#cfcfff" |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
8th
|
35
|
! [[Scuderia Toro Rosso |
! [[Scuderia Ferrari |
|
|
|
|
|
bgcolor="#dfffdf" |
bgcolor="#dfffdf" |
bgcolor="#cfcfff" |
bgcolor="#efcfff" |
bgcolor="#dfffdf" |
bgcolor="#efcfff" |
bgcolor="#dfffdf" |
bgcolor="#dfffdf" |
bgcolor="#ffffbf" |
bgcolor="#dfffdf" |
bgcolor="#dfffdf" |
bgcolor="#cfcfff" |
bgcolor="#dfffdf" |
|
|
|
! [[Red Bull Racing">Scuderia Toro Rosso |
! [[Scuderia Ferrari |
bgcolor="#efcfff" |
bgcolor="#efcfff" |
bgcolor="#efcfff" |
bgcolor="#efcfff" |
bgcolor="#cfcfff" |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
8th
|
35
|
! [[Scuderia Toro Rosso |
! [[Scuderia Ferrari |
|
|
|
|
|
bgcolor="#dfffdf" |
bgcolor="#dfffdf" |
bgcolor="#cfcfff" |
bgcolor="#efcfff" |
bgcolor="#dfffdf" |
bgcolor="#efcfff" |
bgcolor="#dfffdf" |
bgcolor="#dfffdf" |
bgcolor="#ffffbf" |
bgcolor="#dfffdf" |
bgcolor="#dfffdf" |
bgcolor="#cfcfff" |
bgcolor="#dfffdf" |
|
|
|
! [[Red Bull Racing
|
!
| bgcolor="#cfcfff" |
bgcolor="#ffffbf" |
bgcolor="#dfdfdf" |
bgcolor="#dfffdf" |
bgcolor="#efcfff" |
bgcolor="#ffdf9f" |
bgcolor="#ffffbf" |
bgcolor="#dfdfdf" |
bgcolor="#efcfff" |
bgcolor="#efcfff" |
bgcolor="#ffdf9f" |
bgcolor="#dfffdf" |
bgcolor="#dfffdf" |
bgcolor="#ffffbf" |
bgcolor="#dfffdf" |
bgcolor="#ffffbf" |
|
|
|
|
|
|
! [[Red Bull Racing">Red Bull Racing |
! [[Renault F1 |
bgcolor="#cfcfff" |
bgcolor="#cfcfff" |
bgcolor="#ffffbf" |
bgcolor="#dfdfdf" |
bgcolor="#dfffdf" |
bgcolor="#efcfff" |
bgcolor="#ffdf9f" |
bgcolor="#ffffbf" |
bgcolor="#dfdfdf" |
bgcolor="#efcfff" |
bgcolor="#efcfff" |
bgcolor="#ffdf9f" |
bgcolor="#dfffdf" |
bgcolor="#dfffdf" |
bgcolor="#ffffbf" |
bgcolor="#dfffdf" |
bgcolor="#ffffbf" |
|
|
|
|
|
|
! [[Red Bull Racing
|
!
| bgcolor="#efcfff" |
bgcolor="#ffffbf" |
bgcolor="#dfffdf" |
bgcolor="#ffdf9f" |
bgcolor="#dfdfdf" |
bgcolor="#efcfff" |
bgcolor="#dfffdf" |
bgcolor="#ffffbf" |
bgcolor="#dfffdf" |
bgcolor="#ffdf9f" |
bgcolor="#ffdf9f" |
bgcolor="#CFCFFF" |
bgcolor="#dfffdf" |
bgcolor="#dfdfdf" |
bgcolor="#ffffbf" |
bgcolor="#efcfff" |
bgcolor="#ffffbf" |
bgcolor="#ffffbf" |
|
|
|
|
! [[Red Bull Racing">Red Bull Racing |
! [[Renault F1 |
bgcolor="#dfffdf" |
bgcolor="#efcfff" |
bgcolor="#ffffbf" |
bgcolor="#dfffdf" |
bgcolor="#ffdf9f" |
bgcolor="#dfdfdf" |
bgcolor="#efcfff" |
bgcolor="#dfffdf" |
bgcolor="#ffffbf" |
bgcolor="#dfffdf" |
bgcolor="#ffdf9f" |
bgcolor="#ffdf9f" |
bgcolor="#CFCFFF" |
bgcolor="#dfffdf" |
bgcolor="#dfdfdf" |
bgcolor="#ffffbf" |
bgcolor="#efcfff" |
bgcolor="#ffffbf" |
bgcolor="#ffffbf" |
|
|
|
|
! [[Red Bull Racing
|
!
| bgcolor="#ffffbf" |
bgcolor="#dfdfdf" |
bgcolor="#ffffbf" |
bgcolor="#ffffbf" |
bgcolor="#ffffbf" |
bgcolor="#dfdfdf" |
bgcolor="#ffffbf" |
bgcolor="#dfdfdf" |
bgcolor="#dfffdf" |
bgcolor="#dfdfdf" |
bgcolor="#ffffbf" |
bgcolor="#ffffbf" |
bgcolor="#ffffbf" |
bgcolor="#ffdf9f" |
bgcolor="#ffffbf" |
bgcolor="#ffffbf" |
bgcolor="#EFCFFF" |
bgcolor="#dfdfdf" |
|
|
|
|
! [[Red Bull Racing">Red Bull Racing |
! [[Renault Sport F1 |
bgcolor="#ffffbf" |
bgcolor="#ffffbf" |
bgcolor="#dfdfdf" |
bgcolor="#ffffbf" |
bgcolor="#ffffbf" |
bgcolor="#ffffbf" |
bgcolor="#dfdfdf" |
bgcolor="#ffffbf" |
bgcolor="#dfdfdf" |
bgcolor="#dfffdf" |
bgcolor="#dfdfdf" |
bgcolor="#ffffbf" |
bgcolor="#ffffbf" |
bgcolor="#ffffbf" |
bgcolor="#ffdf9f" |
bgcolor="#ffffbf" |
bgcolor="#ffffbf" |
bgcolor="#EFCFFF" |
bgcolor="#dfdfdf" |
|
|
|
|
! [[Red Bull Racing
|
! [[Red Bull Racing |
! [[Renault Sport F1 |
bgcolor="#DFDFDF" |
bgcolor="#CFCFFF" |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
! 6th*
|
! 18*
|
* Season in progress.
Formula One records
Vettel, enjoying considerable success in the sport whilst still relatively young, holds the following
Formula One records:
! Record
|
! Achieved
|
|
(27 November 2011, 392 points)
|
|
(26 November 2011, 18 front row starts).
|
|
(26 November 2011, 15 pole positions)
|
|
(27 November 2011, 739 laps led)
|
|
(30 October 2011, 9 wins from pole position)
|
|
|
|
|
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)
|
|
2011 Indian Grand Prix (aged 24 years, 119 days)
|
|
2007 United States Grand Prix (6 seconds into his career, for speeding in the pit lane)
|
;Footnotes:
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= 2007–2011|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=2010–2011}}
}}
Category:1987 births
Category:Formula BMW ADAC drivers
Category:Formula One World Drivers' Champions
Category:Formula Renault 3.5 Series drivers
Category:Formula 3 Euro Series drivers
Category:German Formula One drivers
Category:German racing drivers
Category:Kart racing drivers
Category:Living people
Category:Monaco Grand Prix winners
Category:People from Bergstraße (district)
Category:Racing drivers from Hesse
Category:Red Bull Racing
Category:Spanish Formula Three Championship drivers
ace:Sebastian Vettel
af:Sebastian Vettel
ar:سباستيان فيتل
an:Sebastian Vettel
ast:Sebastian Vettel
az:Sebastian Fettel
map-bms:Sebastian Vettel
be:Себасцьян Фетэль
be-x-old:Сэбастыян Фэтэль
bi:Sebastian Vettel
bg:Себастиан Фетел
bar:Sebastian Vettel
bs:Sebastian Vettel
br:Sebastian Vettel
ca:Sebastian Vettel
cs:Sebastian Vettel
da:Sebastian Vettel
de:Sebastian Vettel
et:Sebastian Vettel
el:Σεμπάστιαν Φέτελ
es:Sebastian Vettel
eo:Sebastian Vettel
eu:Sebastian Vettel
fa:سباستین فتل
fr:Sebastian Vettel
gl:Sebastian Vettel
ko:제바스티안 페텔
hr:Sebastian Vettel
io:Sebastian Vettel
id:Sebastian Vettel
ie:Sebastian Vettel
it:Sebastian Vettel
he:סבסטיאן פטל
jv:Sebastian Vettel
ht:Sebastian Vettel
lv:Sebastians Fetels
lb:Sebastian Vettel
lt:Sebastian Vettel
hu:Sebastian Vettel
mk:Себастијан Фетел
mr:सेबास्टियान फेटेल
ms:Sebastian Vettel
nl:Sebastian Vettel
ja:セバスチャン・ベッテル
no:Sebastian Vettel
pl:Sebastian Vettel
pt:Sebastian Vettel
ksh:Sebastian Vettel
ro:Sebastian Vettel
ru:Феттель, Себастьян
sq:Sebastian Vettel
scn:Sebastian Vettel
simple:Sebastian Vettel
sk:Sebastian Vettel
sl:Sebastian Vettel
sr:Себастијан Фетел
sh:Sebastian Vettel
su:Sebastian Vettel
fi:Sebastian Vettel
sv:Sebastian Vettel
tl:Sebastian Vettel
ta:செபாஸ்டியன் வெட்டல்
th:เซบัสเตียน เฟทเทล
tr:Sebastian Vettel
uk:Себастьян Феттель
vec:Sebastian Vettel
vi:Sebastian Vettel
yi:סעבאסטיאן פעטל
zh:賽巴斯蒂安·維泰爾