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Infiniti (Japanese: インフィニティ, Infiniti^?) is the luxury division of automaker Nissan. Infiniti officially started selling vehicles on November 8, 1989 in North America. The marketing network for Infiniti-branded vehicles now includes over 230 dealers in over 15 countries.^[1]

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[link]

The beginning[link]

1990-1993 Infiniti Q45

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 1985. The brand was created around the same time as Japanese rivals Toyota and Honda 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 two models, the Q45, and the M30. The Q45 was based on the all new second generation JDM Nissan President on a five millimeter shorter wheelbase platform at 2,875 mm (113.2 in). Starting with model year 1992, the wheelbase matched the President's wheelbase at 2880 mm (113.4 in). The Q45 included a 278 hp (207 kW; 282 PS) 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.

1990 Infiniti M30

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 162 hp (121 kW; 164 PS) engine and an automatic transmission. The M30 coupe was underpowered for its stock weight of 3,333 lb (1,512 kg). 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 almost completely different.

Infiniti did not offer an mid-luxury sedan to match the first Japanese luxury sedan introduced to North America, the Acura Legend, which was later joined by the Lexus GS. Infiniti's first offering in the entry-level luxury segment was the Infiniti J30, which had to compete with the revised 1992 Lexus ES which was much more successful than the J30. 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[link]

1992 Infiniti J30

2002 Infiniti G20

1997-2000 Infiniti QX4

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 150 bhp (112 kW; 152 PS) engine with multi-port fuel injection for improved performance.^{[citation needed]}

For the 1993 model year, Infiniti introduced a four-door coupé J30 with only one engine option, the 210 hp (157 kW; 213 PS) VG30DE. This engine was from the 222 hp (166 kW; 225 PS)300ZX, the JDM Nissan Cedric, Nissan Gloria and the Nissan Cima, and was the North American version of the third generation JDM Nissan Leopard.^{[citation needed]}

Infiniti sales were slow.^{[citation needed]} The company's initial campaign aimed to bring about brand awareness with Zen-influenced spots that focused on nature and tranquility, without showing the actual cars.^{[citation needed]} Designers decided not to adorn the interiors with wood accents and chrome brightwork, opting instead for a monochrome appearance focusing on padded leather and vinyl throughout. 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.^{[citation needed]}

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"^{[citation needed]}. 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^{[citation needed]}, it fell short of sales expectations. The G20 was also marketed primarily to the wrong demographic, that being middle-aged professional women^{[citation needed]}, and as such it was not as popular new as its 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^{[citation needed]}: the 193 PS (142 kW; 190 hp) VQ30DE with front wheel drive shared with the Maxima. Infiniti made major changes to the I30's appearance and performance in 2002, upgrading the engine to the more powerful 231 PS (170 kW; 228 hp) VQ35DE; this inspired a name change to the vehicle, which became the I35. Sales and the brand, bereft of an image or a following, floundered.

2000s[link]

2002-2003 Infiniti I35

2006 Infiniti FX

2008 Infiniti G37 Sport

By 2000, large Japanese companies were feeling the effect of the Japanese asset price bubble, and the reduced desirability of Infiniti's led to its 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."^{[citation needed]} Although this effort began with a completely redesigned Q45 flagship for the 2002 model year, it was the G35 that helped improve Infiniti sales 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 its Nissan Primera-based predecessor (the G20), the Nissan Skyline-based G35, was successful after it was voted 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",^{[citation needed]}. The M35/M45 garnered acclaim from the automotive press, winning an eight-car comparison test in Car and Driver, and the model was named the best luxury sedan by Consumer Reports.^{[citation needed]} The M45 model featured the same engine as the Q45, and the M45 became the flagship model after the Q45 was discontinued. 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 was new Infiniti EX35 compact crossover, Infiniti's entry into the compact luxury crossover market. The EX shared the G35's 3.5 liter, 306 hp (228 kW), V6 engine.

Carlos Ghosn unveiled Infiniti’s arrival in Europe at the Geneva Motor Show 2008.^[2] 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.^[3]

2010s[link]

Infiniti M56

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 Renault-Nissan Alliance. 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.^[4]

In 2011, Infiniti chose to sponsor the Renault engines for Red Bull Racing for the 2011 Formula One season.^[5]

Nissan announced the return of front-wheel drive to the Infiniti lineup on August 30, 2011 with the release of the Infiniti JX.^[6] It will join Toyota's Lexus brand in terms of blending front-wheel drive and rear-wheel drive vehicles again; since its inception in 1990 Lexus has had front-wheel drive platforms underpinning entry-level vehicles like the Lexus ES and Lexus RX.

As of 2011, the G Series (consisting of the sedan, coupe, and convertible) accounts for 60% of sales. This has been attributed to their SUVs (including crossovers) which have been seen as determinedly aimed at the narrowest of niches, a lost opportunity as SUVs are popular in the U.S. market. In contrast, at archrival Lexus, SUVs contributed half of the sales volume. In 2011, Infiniti sales fell, while other import luxury vehicles were doing well.^[7] Furthermore, Infiniti's performance over practicality emphasis has resulted in it faring poorly among women compared to Acura and Lexus.^[8]

United States sales by calendar year[link]

Models[link]

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[link]

Most 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^{[citation needed]}. The exceptions are the QX56 full-size SUV that rides on the Nissan F-Alpha platform and the JX crossover that rides on the Nissan D 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)
• Infiniti JX (CUV)

Past[link]

• Infiniti G20 (sedan)
• Infiniti G35 (coupe and sedan)
• Infiniti M30 (coupe and convertible)
• Infiniti M35 (sedan)
• Infiniti M45 (sedan)
• Infiniti QX4 (SUV)

Discontinued[link]

• Infiniti J30 (sedan)
• Infiniti I (I30, 1996–2001; I35, 2002–2004, all sedans)
• Infiniti Q45 (sedan)

Concept vehicles[link]

Infiniti Essence

• Infiniti Triant (2003)
• Infiniti Kuraza (2005)
• Infiniti Essence (2009)
• Infiniti Etherea (2011)
• Infiniti Emerg-e (2012)
• Infiniti LE (2012)

Future vehicles[link]

• Hybrid version of the M sedan^[9]
• Diesel versions of the M sedan, EX and FX were unveiled at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show (for Europe only).
• JX three-row crossover^[10]

Infiniti Performance Line[link]

In August 2010, Infiniti unveiled its new performance division named Infiniti Performance Line, or IPL.^[4]

Motorsports[link]

Infiniti Indy car next to a production Q45

In 1996, Nissan launched an effort to compete in the Indy Racing League with the Infiniti brand.^[11] 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.^[12] 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.^[13] Infiniti has signed Formula 1 World Champion Sebastian Vettel as its first global ambassador^[14]

References[link]

External links[link]

Media related to Infiniti vehicles at Wikimedia Commons

• Infiniti.com—Official Infiniti Global site
• InfinitiUSA.com—Official Infiniti USA site
• Nissan Motor Corporation
• Infinitihelp.com—Unofficial Infiniti site. Bulletins, Manuals, and Recalls

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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.^[1]

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 DJs when required.

Early life[link]

Walden is the son of a Jersey dentist, Harold Walden.^[2] 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.^[3] Soon after, he joined forces with the likes of Seal and Adamski.

"Infinity"[link]

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.^[4]

Other work[link]

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.^[5] "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.^{[citation needed]}

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.^[5]

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.^[6]

Guru Josh Project[link]

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.^[4]

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

Discography[link]

Singles[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Guru Josh Official website
• Guru Josh at Discogs
• The Guru Josh Project at Discogs
• TranceSound interview, May 2010

Sebastian Vettel

Vettel at 2012 Bahrain Grand Prix
Born	(1987-07-03) 3 July 1987 (age 24) Heppenheim, Hesse, West Germany
Formula One World Championship career
Nationality	German
2012 team	Red Bull-Renault
2012 car #	1
Races	87
Championships	2 (2010, 2011)
Wins	22
Podiums	38
Career points	846
Pole positions	31
Fastest laps	10
First race	2007 United States Grand Prix
First win	2008 Italian Grand Prix
Last win	2012 Bahrain Grand Prix
Last race	2012 Monaco Grand Prix
2011 position	1st (392 pts)

Sebastian Vettel (German pronunciation: [zeˈbasti̯an ˈfɛtəl]; 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 2010 and 2011.

In his first year driving for Red Bull in 2009, 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 2011, 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,^[1] and to win a race.^[2]

Early and personal life[link]

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.^[3] 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.^[4] 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[link]

Junior series[link]

Vettel demonstrating his Formula Three Euroseries car in 2006

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.^[5] 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.^[6] 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."^[7]

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.^[8]

Formula One[link]

Vettel during practice at the 2006 Brazilian Grand Prix

Vettel made his Formula One debut at the 2007 United States Grand Prix, driving for BMW Sauber.

2006–2007: BMW Sauber[link]

2006[link]

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.^[9] 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[link]

Vettel was confirmed as BMW's test driver for 2007.^[10] Following the serious crash of regular BMW driver Kubica at the Canadian Grand Prix, Vettel substituted for him at the United States Grand Prix. 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,^[11] 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.^[12]

2007–2008: Toro Rosso[link]

2007[link]

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 Hungarian Grand Prix onwards.^[13] He earned approximately US$165,000 for finishing the season with Toro Rosso.^[14] Before the race, it was also announced that Vettel would drive for Toro Rosso in 2008,^[15] alongside Sébastien Bourdais.^[16]

Vettel driving the Toro Rosso STR2 at the 2007 Brazilian Grand Prix

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 Japanese Grand Prix 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'."^[17][18] 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.^[19] Vettel bounced back to finish a career-best fourth a week later at the Chinese Grand Prix 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.^[20]

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."^[21]

2008[link]

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 Turkish Grand Prix, 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 Monaco Grand Prix, Vettel scored his first points of the season with a fifth place finish, after qualifying 17th. He scored again at the Canadian Grand Prix 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 British Grand Prix after being clipped by David Coulthard and aquaplaned into the gravel trap along with Coulthard. He earned another point at the German Grand Prix, 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 European Grand Prix 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.

Vettel driving for Toro Rosso at the 2008 Canadian Grand Prix

At the 2008 Italian Grand Prix, Vettel became the youngest driver in history to win a Formula One Grand Prix.^[22] 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.^[23] 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.^[24] Earlier in the weekend, he had already become the youngest polesitter, after setting the fastest times in both Q2 and Q3 qualifying stages,^[25] 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".^[26] Hamilton praised the German, stating that this victory showed "how good he is".^[26] 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".^[27] 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 Brazilian Grand Prix, 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[link]

2009[link]

Vettel at the 2009 Japanese Grand Prix, where he took his fourth career win

At the start of the 2009 season, Vettel replaced the retired David Coulthard at Red Bull Racing, and began strongly at the Australian Grand Prix, 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 Malaysian Grand Prix, and his team was fined for instructing him to stay on track after the damage occurred.^[28] 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.^[29] 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.^[30] 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 Bahrain Grand Prix, 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 British Grand Prix after claiming pole position in qualifying.^[31] At the German Grand Prix he qualified fourth and finished second, behind Webber, who won his first Grand Prix.^[32] At the Hungarian Grand Prix, 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.^[33]

At the European Grand Prix, 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.^[34] 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 Japanese Grand Prix 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.^[35] He would have to wait until the 2011 Indian Grand Prix until he finally achieved a Grand Chelem.

At the Brazilian Grand Prix, 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.^[36]

2010[link]

Vettel driving for Red Bull Racing at the 2010 Bahrain Grand Prix, where he took the first pole position of the season

Vettel continued with Red Bull for 2010, and took the first pole position of the season at the Bahrain Grand Prix. 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 Australian Grand Prix, Vettel was appointed as a director of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association.^[37] 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.^[38]

Vettel qualified on pole at China alongside Webber. At the start of the wet race Fernando Alonso jump-started^[39] 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 Turkish Grand Prix 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 Canadian Grand Prix, maintaining his position in the standings. He started the European Grand Prix in pole position and led from start to finish to score his second win of the season.

Vettel won from pole position at the 2010 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix to take the World Drivers' Championship title.

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.^[40] 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 German Grand Prix 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 Singapore Grand Prix, 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 Japanese Grand Prix, 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 Korean Grand Prix, Vettel took pole and led the first 45 laps of the race before retiring with engine failure, handing victory to Alonso.

At the Brazilian Grand Prix, 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 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 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.^[41][42][43] 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[link]

Vettel won the 2011 Malaysian Grand Prix, which was his fourth consecutive victory.

After the postponement of the Bahrain Grand Prix, Vettel started his title defence in style in the Australian Grand Prix 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 Malaysian Grand Prix, 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 Chinese Grand Prix, 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.^[44]

The Turkish Grand Prix 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 Spanish Grand Prix, 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.^[45] The following weekend, in the Monaco Grand Prix, 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.^[46]

Vettel's win at the Monaco Grand Prix was his first win in the principality, and his fifth win from the first six races of the season.

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 European Grand Prix, 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.^[47] 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.

Vettel took his ninth victory of the season at the Singapore Grand Prix after leading from lights to flag, this left him within one point of his second World Championship.

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.^[48] 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.^[49]

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 2010 for the highest number of championship points accumulated in a season. At the Italian Grand Prix 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,^[50] 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 at the Japanese Grand Prix, where with four races remaining in the season, he secured his place in history as the youngest double World Drivers' Champion.

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.^[51] 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.^[52] 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^[53] – 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.^[54][55] 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.^[56][57]

At the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Vettel took his fourteenth pole position of 2011 to equal the record of poles in a season set by Nigel Mansell in 1992. 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[link]

Vettel driving for Red Bull Racing at the 2012 Malaysian Grand Prix.

Vettel remained at Red Bull for the 2012 season,^[58] and is again partnered by Mark Webber. He scored a second place finish at the opening race of the season in Australia.^[59] Vettel started fifth in Malaysia, promoted from sixth after Kimi Räikkönen suffered a five-place grid penalty. Vettel spent the majority of the rain-affected race in fourth place, but picked a puncture from a collision with the HRT of Narain Karthikeyan on lap 47. He dropped to twelfth after pitting to replace the tyre, and finished eleventh 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.

After the race, Vettel and Red Bull boss Christian Horner criticised Karthikeyan's driving, with Vettel calling Karthikeyan an "idiot".^[60] Karthikeyan hit back at Vettel, calling him a "cry-baby".^[61] Later, Karthikeyan decided to call a truce with Vettel, stating his respect for Vettel's abilities and saying "I think we have to deal with it in a mature way and forget about it."^[61] Vettel qualified eleventh for the Chinese Grand Prix; the first time he had qualified outside the top ten since the 2009 Brazilian Grand Prix,^[62] although he ran as high as 2nd with 7 laps remaining until tyre wear on a 2-stop strategy took its toll and he dropped to 5th by the flag.

Vettel took his first victory of 2012 in Bahrain

Vettel qualified in pole position for the first time in 2012 at the Bahrain Grand Prix. Vettel was able to lead for most of the race, despite coming under pressure from Kimi Räikkönen, and crossed the line in first place to take his first victory of the season; the result also saw Vettel go top of the driver's standings for the first time in 2012. At the Spanish GP, he maintained his championship lead, albeit only on countback, after a 6th place finish having started 7th following on from a qualifying session in which he didn't set a time in Q3. Vettel received a drive-through penalty for failing to slow for yellow flags during the race as well as having to change his front wing as a result of debris from an incident involving Michael Schumacher and Bruno Senna. After an eventful race at Monaco where he placed fourth, gaining 5 places from his ninth-place grid position, he is currently second in the Drivers' Championship, behind Alonso who finished third in the race.

Future[link]

On 21 August 2009 it was announced that Red Bull and Vettel have extended his contract until the end of the 2011 season^[63] with an option for 2012. The option was taken up on 14 March 2011, as Vettel extended his contract with the team until the end of 2014.^[64] 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.^[65] 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.^[66]

Race of Champions[link]

Vettel competed in the 2007 Race of Champions at Wembley Stadium, representing the German team alongside Michael Schumacher.^[67] 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.^[68] 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[link]

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[link]

The Bergstraße coat of arms (lower left) that appears on the chin area of Vettel's helmet

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[link]

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".^[69] 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),^[70] and Abbey (2012).^[71]

Vettel and Michael Schumacher both competed in the 2011 Japanese Grand Prix, where Vettel won his second world championship title.

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.^[72]

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 2010, 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.^[73] 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[link]

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.^[74]

Honours[link]

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.^[75]

Racing record[link]

Career summary[link]