Formula BMW
Category	Single seaters
Active	1998–
Country/region	International
Championships	Europe Pacific
Former Championships	Asia Germany United Kingdom United States
Constructor	Mygale
Engine supplier	BMW
Last Drivers' Champions	Stefan Wackerbauer (Talent Cup)
Last Teams' Champions
Current seasons	2011 Talent Cup 2011 Asia Series 2011 Lista Junior
Official website	Formula BMW Pacific

Formula BMW is a junior racing formula for single seater cars. It is positioned at the bottom of the motorsport career ladder alongside the longer established Formula Ford category. Like Formula Ford, it is intended to function as the young kart racing graduate's first experience of car racing.

The new formula was created by BMW Motorsport in 2001, with the first of its championships being inaugurated in Germany in 2002. Selected competitors from each series meet in the World Final at the end of each season, with the promise of a Formula One test for the winner.

From 2011 onwards BMW has ceased to support the Pacific and Europe series, in favor of the Formula BMW Talent Cup.^[1] Those series will continue to run, albeit independently.

Origins[link]

BMW has prior experience of junior formula racing, as a successful engine supplier in Formula Two and, more briefly, Formula Three in the 1970s. Its European F2 Championship program, which ran from 1973 to 1981, contributed to six drivers' titles in partnership with March. The company ended its participation prior to its first entry into Formula One in the 1980s.

BMW returned to the junior categories in Germany in 1991, as the engine supplier to the Formula ADAC championship.^[2] The first champion was Christian Abt.^[3] It was in 2001 that BMW decided to significantly increase its involvement in the series; ADAC remained the sanctioning body, but BMW Motorsport devised the package of regulations and commissioned the new chassis. The new formula made its debut at Hockenheim in April 2002.^[4]

Among the series' more notable teams was Team Rosberg, founded by former Formula One world champion Keke Rosberg, which entered the original Formula BMW ADAC in 1999 and continued into the all-new championship. The team took Rosberg's son, Nico, to the 2002 championship title in his rookie year.^[5] By 2006, Nico Rosberg had progressed to Formula One.

Formula BMW then expanded to encompass four championships across three continents. The German series was followed by a south-east Asian championship in 2003,^[6] and series in the United Kingdom and the United States were launched the following year.^[7] The UK and German championships merged into a new pan-European series in 2008.^[8][9]

Overview[link]

Competitors benefited from BMW Motorsport's Education and Coaching Program, which is based at two Formula BMW Racing Centres at the Circuit de Valencia in Spain and the Bahrain International Circuit at Sakhir, Bahrain. The centres provided courses in race driving, chassis setup, fitness and nutrition, media management, and sponsorship searching.^[10]

To be eligible to compete in Formula BMW, drivers had to be at least fifteen years old, and must not have competed in any international racing series other than karting. They must have held an International racing license no higher than Grade C.^[11] (FIA International racing licenses are graded from A to D, with an additional super-license above Grade A.)^[12] Competitors must take part in a Licensing Course at one of the Racing Centres.^[13][14]

BMW also provided an annual scholarship for five young drivers in each championship, between the ages of fifteen and eighteen, who were chosen through a selection process. It provides each driver with a budget of £35,000 in the UK,^[15] US$50,000 in Asia, and US$40,000 in the USA.^[16]

The best drivers from each championship were invited to the Formula BMW World Final, which takes place at one of the Formula BMW Racing Centres in December of each year. The 2006 event was held at Valencia. It is composed of a series of elimination heats followed by a final race. The winner was awarded a Formula One test with BMW-Sauber.^[17]

Technical information[link]

The Formula BMW FB02, built by Mygale

Formula BMW was what is sometimes referred to as a "slicks and wings" formula, which describes the use of slick tires and downforce-generating wings at the front and rear. The addition of wings results in cornering speeds that are faster than that which is achieved by the wingless Formula Ford cars and comparable to Formula Renault, and provides drivers with valuable first-time experience of the unique characteristics of aerodynamic downforce.

Formula BMW was strictly a "control" formula. This term describes a formula in which every major aspect of equipment and suppliers is restricted. Control formulae normally have only one chassis specification, one engine, and single suppliers of tires and fuel. Modifications to the chassis, bodywork and engine are not permitted and this is strictly enforced through scrutineering. In the case of Formula BMW, tuning is restricted to basic adjustment of the gear ratios, suspension, brake balance, and wing angles.^[18][19] The engines are sealed to prevent illegal modifications and are serviced by Schnitzer Motorsport.^[20]

DesignworksUSA, a subsidiary of BMW, led the design of the car in cooperation with the French chassis constructor Mygale, which was responsible for production.^[18] The result, designated "FB02", was a compact design, with a carbon-fibre composite tub constructed to the safety standards of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (motorsport's world governing body). The bodywork is made from a kevlar composite.^[21] At 3.975 m (13.041 ft) in length, it was larger than a Formula Ford 1600, and slightly smaller than a Formula Renault 2000.

The engine was sourced from BMW's motorcycle division: it is a near-standard K1200RS motorcycle engine, in an inline four-cylinder configuration, with a capacity of 1171 cc, and a power output of 140 hp (100 kW). Drive is through a single-plate clutch and a six-speed sequential gearbox, produced by Hewland. The complete car weighs 455 kg without fuel and driver.^[22]

Sporting regulations[link]

As part of the effort to tightly control costs, Formula BMW follows the lead set by most junior single seater formulae by strictly limiting testing. During the season, teams and drivers are primarily limited to a small number of official test days, the cost of which is reimbursed by the series organisers. The teams are allowed to test at circuits that do not host championship events, provided they do not use a driver that competes in the championship. On-board data-loggers are used to monitor each team's on-track activity between race weekends, and illegal running is likely to incur a fine or suspension.^[23]

Each chassis is subject to safety inspections by the scrutineers, and may be replaced only if it is deemed necessary due to irreparable accident damage. If this occurs after a qualifying session, that driver's times have to be annulled and the driver must start at the back of the grid. Spare cars (second cars for use in the event of a problem with the first car) are not permitted.^[24] At the end of each session or race, the cars have to be submitted to the scrutineers under Parc fermé conditions.^[25]

The use of treaded rain tires in place of the normal slick tires is permitted only when the race director deems it necessary in any given session or race, and he reserves the right to mandate their use when conditions are severe.^[26] For safety reasons, the pitlane is subject to a 60-km/h (37.5-mph) speed limit, violation of which will result in a drive-through penalty.^[27] Drivers must wear FIA-specification helmets and use the Head And Neck Support (HANS) restraint system.^[28]

Each race begins with a formation lap behind the safety car, prior to the start itself. During this lap, the drivers must maintain position and not perform dangerous actions such as brake-testing, excessive weaving, and practice starts.^[29]

Event schedule[link]

Each weekend begins with a 40-minute free practice session, except at events that support a Formula One Grand Prix, where the schedule is subject to change. Each race is preceded by a 20-minute qualifying session, in which competitors must set a time within 130% of the fastest time in order to qualify for the race. The time set in the qualifying session determines the driver's starting position for the race. If only one qualifying session can take place, each driver's second best time will determine his grid position for the second race. If no qualifying sessions can take place, the current championship standings will decide the grid for both races.^[30]

Each race must cover a minimum distance of 60 km (37.5 mi), with that figure determining the number of laps according to the length of the circuit. If the race duration exceeds 30 minutes, it will be stopped at the end of that lap. In the event of a race being stopped prematurely, full points are awarded if the race leader completed at least 75% of the distance, while half points are awarded if at least 50% is completed. If a race is stopped prior to half-distance, it will be restarted where possible.^[31] Full points are awarded as follows:

The UK championship is composed of ten rounds, with two races per round. The German championship previously ran for ten rounds, but was reduced to nine in 2006. The US championship has only seven rounds, each with two races.^[32] The Asian championship is a little different: it used to run seven rounds with two races per weekend, but now has six rounds with four races per weekend at all bar one round.^[33] Having fewer events, but with more races at each, helps to reduce transport and travel costs without reducing the number of races.

Championships[link]

Nico Rosberg: 2002 FBMW ADAC champion

Germany & Europe[link]

Formula BMW ADAC is sanctioned by the Allgemeiner Deutscher Automobil Club e.V., Europe's largest automobile association. It was immediately popular with teams and drivers alike, attracting 32 entries in its first season.^[34] Since 2004, the ADAC championship has included a support event for the European Grand Prix at the Nürburgring.^[35]

2002 champion Nico Rosberg joined the Williams Formula One team in 2006 and the 2004 champion Sebastian Vettel became a test driver for the BMW Sauber team later the same year.^[36] He has since graduated to a full-time Formula One race driver, setting several driver's record and becoming the youngest Formula One champion in history after the 2010 Formula One Championship season. The 2005 championship was decided in an appeal court, which penalised Switzerland's Sebastian Buemi with a 60-second penalty for a driving infringement. This handed the title to Nico Hülkenberg. In the immediate aftermath of the incident in question, both drivers had been given 30-second penalties.^[37] The 2006 champion, Christian Vietoris, went on to dominate that year's World Final in Valencia, in which he secured pole position, finished in first place in all three qualification heats, and won the final itself.^[38]

The German series merged with the UK series to form the BMW Europe series in 2008. The series raced for three years before being axed at the end of the 2010 season, in favour of the new Formula BMW Talent Cup, which started in 2011.^[1][39]

Asia & Pacific[link]

Formula BMW Asia was the second championship to be created. It was inaugurated in 2003 under the management of Motorsport Asia Limited,^[40] and functioned as a replacement for Asian Formula 2000. Its creation is part of the growth in popularity of organised single seater motorsport in east Asia, and it forms the start of a career ladder below the Asian Formula 3 Pacific Series and Formula V6 Asia. Events have been held at Sepang in Malaysia; Bira in Thailand; Sentul in Indonesia; and Shanghai, Zhuhai, Beijing in China, Macau and Singapore. It has appeared on the support bill at the Malaysian, Chinese, Bahrain, Macau and Singapore Grand Prix.^[35] It was renamed Formula BMW Pacific for the 2008 season.

United States & Americas[link]

Founded in 2004 and originally known as Formula BMW USA, the series changed its name to Formula BMW Americas starting with the 2008 season. The series was sanctioned by IMSA, and it has appeared on the support bill for ALMS, Champ Car, Grand-Am, Indy Racing League and Formula One events. In its first four years of existence (2004–2007), the Formula BMW USA series supported both the Canadian and United States Formula One Grands Prix.^[41]

The 2007 BMW USA champion was the previous season's Rookie of the Year, Daniel Morad of Canada, who secured the title with six wins. Mexico's Esteban Gutierrez took over the Rookie title.^[42]

Greg Mansell at Goodwood

The Americas championship was disbanded at the conclusion of the 2009 season which saw only 13 drivers participate in a race.

United Kingdom[link]

When Formula BMW UK was formed, it had to compete in a crowded marketplace with a number of series based on Formula Ford and Formula Renault regulations, together with smaller series such as Zip Formula. However, as with the other BMW championships, the UK series quickly proved to be a success. It attracted 25 entrants in its inaugural season in 2004, which increased to 28 the following season.^[43] Former Formula One and Indycar champion Nigel Mansell became involved as an ambassador for the series after his sons, Leo and Greg, began their single seater careers in the championship in 2006. He also works as a mentor with the BMW Education and Coaching Programme.^[44] 2007 was the last year for Formula BMW UK and the series merged with the German series to form the Europe series.

Formula Lista Junior[link]

Formula Lista Junior is a feeder series to the main Formula BMW series. It has run since 2000 across mainland Europe and since 2008 has used Formula BMW FB02 chassis and engines to run its single-seaters. Former champions include Neel Jani and Romain Grosjean.

Champions[link]

Season	Series Name	Champion	Team Champion
1998	Formula BMW ADAC	Stefan Mücke	Mücke Motorsport
1999	Formula BMW ADAC	André Lotterer	BMW Rookie Team
2000	Formula BMW ADAC	Hannes Lachinger	BMW Rookie Team
2001	Formula BMW ADAC	Timo Glock	BMW Rookie Team
2002	Formula BMW ADAC	Nico Rosberg	VIVA Racing/Team Rosberg
2003	Formula BMW ADAC	Maximilian Götz	ADAC Berlin-Brandenburg
	Formula BMW Asia	Ho-Pin Tung	Team Meritus
2004	Formula BMW ADAC	Sebastian Vettel	ADAC Berlin-Brandenburg
	Formula BMW Asia	Marchy Lee	Team Meritus
	Formula BMW USA	Andreas Wirth	HBR/Powerslide Motorsport
	Formula BMW UK	Tim Bridgman	Private entry 1
2005	Formula BMW ADAC	Nico Hülkenberg	Josef Kaufmann Racing
	Formula BMW Asia	Salman Al Khalifa	Team Meritus
	Formula BMW USA	Richard Philippe	Team Autotecnica
	Formula BMW UK	Dean Smith	Nexa Racing
	Formula BMW World Final	Marco Holzer	AM-Holzer Rennsport
2006	Formula BMW ADAC	Christian Vietoris	Josef Kaufmann Racing
	Formula BMW Asia	Earl Bamber	Team Meritus
	Formula BMW USA	Robert Wickens	EuroInternational 2
	Formula BMW UK	Niall Breen	Fortec Motorsport
	Formula BMW World Final	Christian Vietoris	Josef Kaufmann Racing
2007	Formula BMW ADAC	Jens Klingmann	Eifelland Racing
	Formula BMW Asia	Jazeman Jaafar	CIMB Qi-Meritus
	Formula BMW USA	Daniel Morad	EuroInternational
	Formula BMW UK	Marcus Ericsson	Fortec Motorsport
	Formula BMW World Final	Philipp Eng	Mücke Motorsport
2008	Formula BMW Pacific	Ross Jamison	Team Meritus
	Formula BMW Europe	Esteban Gutierrez	Josef Kaufmann Racing
	Formula BMW Americas	Alexander Rossi	EuroInternational
	Formula BMW World Final	Alexander Rossi	EuroInternational
2009	Formula BMW Pacific	Rio Haryanto	Questnet Team Qi-Meritus
	Formula BMW Europe	Felipe Nasr	EuroInternational
	Formula BMW Americas	Gabriel Chaves	EuroInternational
2010	Formula BMW Pacific	Richard Bradley	Eurasia Motorsport
	Formula BMW Europe	Robin Frijns	Josef Kaufmann Racing
2011	Formula BMW Talent Cup	Stefan Wackerbauer	n/a

¹ Tim Bridgman competed in a small independent family-run team.
² Robert Wickens began the 2006 season with Apex Racing USA, before switching to EuroInternational.

Race of Champions[link]

In 2005, a special Formula BMW invitational event was held as part of the Race of Champions at the Stade de France in Paris. BMW invited one driver from each of the four championships: Canada's Robert Wickens from the USA; Nico Hülkenberg from the German series; Dean Smith from the UK; and Bahrain's Salman Al Khalifa from the Asian championship. Wickens was the 2005 Rookie of the Year in the US, and was up against the champions from the other series, but showed his potential by winning the event.^[45]

References[link]

External links[link]

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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]