Plaudits

Plaudits have been coming in from all parts of the racing world. One of the most notable is long-time rival and fellow world champion Lewis Hamilton.

“It will be sad to see him leave,” said Hamilton at a recent press conference. “It’s been an unexpected relationship and friendship. It’s so difficult when you are so competitive and both fighting for something you are passionate about. Of all the drivers I’ve raced with, Seb was the first one to stand by me and take the knee with me. He’s the first to go out of his way to fight for things he cares about.”

Ten Facts About Sebastian Vettel

  1. Sebastian Vettel made his Formula One debut at the 2007 US GP with BMW-Sauber.
  2. His first F1 victory came a year later at the Italian Grand Prix at the wheel of a Toro Rosso (now Alpha Tauri).
  3. Vettel liked to name each of his racecars. Among the names used include Julie, Kinky Kylie, Luscious Liz, Randy Mandy, Hungry Heidi and Honey Ryder.
  4. The German lies third on the list of all-time F1 wins with 53. He is only led by Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher.
  5. In 2004, Vettel utterly dominated the Formula BMW season. He won 18 of the 20 races and finished on the podium in the other two to take the overall title.
  6. There is a car that carries the champion’s name. It is an SUV called the Infiniti FX Vettel Edition.
  7. Vettel once appeared in a music video. The F1 driver appeared alongside US R&B star Melanie Fiona in a track titled Watch Me Work. You can catch the full video at the bottom of this post.
  8. The four-time world champion speaks five languages: German, English, French, Finnish and Italian.
  9. In 2011 Vettel claimed 15 pole positions of 19 races, a record which still stands to this day. Mark Webber, Seb’s teammate, claimed three and Lewis Hamilton took the other.
  10. Vettel is a genuine F1 fan. He has great knowledge of the sport as you can see in this video. He also owns the 1992, championship-winning Williams FW14B of Nigel Mansell. Vettel drove the car at the British GP on his 35th birthday earlier this year. He reportedly also owns an Ayrton Senna-driven McLaren, an original Fiat 500 and a Ferrari F40 (read about our F40 driving experience at this link).

Facts About Sebastian Vettel

Name: Sebastian Vettel
Born: Heppenheim, Germany
Birthday: 3 July 1987
Teams raced for: BMW-Sauber, Toro Rosso, Red Bull Racing, Scuderia Ferrari, Aston Martin Racing
World titles: 4 (2010-13  all with Red Bull Racing)

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