Sebastien Vettel
When Sebastien Vettel burst onto the scene in 2007, many experts believed him to be the next superstar in motor racing from Germany.
His debut came after Robert Kubica suffered a horrific crash in the 2007 Canadian GP. He was called on to replace Kubica for the next race the US GP at Indianapolis. He went on to qualify 7th and finished 8th, becoming the youngest ever driver to score points. With his victory in the Italian GP in 2008 he not only became the youngest winner of a F1 race but also put to rest all doubts about his abilities. Controlling the race with a team like Toro Rosso showed that he had a maturity beyond his tender years.
At the end of the season he moved to Red Bull the primary team of the group as it owns both the teams. It was here that a unique combination of machine meeting talent took place. Red Bull had on its ranks Christian Horner, the youngest ever team principal and also widely regarded as a man who knew that succeeding meant taking a dip out of the normal. Also it had just poached Adrian Newey from McLaren and all that they needed was a driver who could ensure that all these came good on the track.
The start of the 2009 season saw Vettel failing to finish the first couple of races and also a valiant attempt by Vettel to finish a race with three wheels on his car. However the stewards just gave him a 10 place penalty for the next race for his misdemeanours. He finally saw everything come together as he wrapped up the first victory for his team and the team’s first 1-2 finish in the Chinese GP. A valiant attempt on the Championship failed as Jenson Button ran away with the title.
The 2010 season promised a stronger challenge from Red Bull for both the Driver’s and Constructor’s Championship. And it turned out to be just that. Vettel did give everyone some nervous moments by failing to convert his poles into race wins almost always throwing it away just when the win looked to be in the bag. However he did finish the season strongly and wrapped up his first Driver’s Championship and thus became the sport’s youngest world champion.
In 2011, Vettel has been a revelation till now. He has displayed another virtue of his that has till now been dormant somewhere- consistency. He has been remarkably fast in qualifying being on pole for five out of six races. Also his conversion rate of poles into race victories has been remarkable. With just six races into the season most experts say that it is now his Championship to lose. The Heppenheim racer has everything it takes to succeed at the highest level. A good team of experts like Newey and Horner, a team that has seen his grow from nothing to superstardom and bags and bags of talent. Hence probably we are again in for a spell in F1 with many drivers from the same age group dominating at various stages. A Prost- Senna struggle like dominance can very well be on the cards with a Hamilton-Vettel shootout. If that happens, the only people to benefit will be the fans.
Also here’s to wishing to the success of the Indian Grand Prix in October. May there be a titanic battle that becomes a part of folklore.
Tags: F1, Formula One, Germany, Indian Grand Prix, Motor Racing, Red Bull, Sebastien Vettel
