For the fourth consecutive season, Sebastian Vettel has calmed everyone and taken the world crown of Formula 1™. What stuff is this fresh-faced German made of? We attempt an answer.
12% Precious Water
This season Seb may be playing the rebel with the kind of chin fluff that should cause amusement in the Mediterranean paddocks, but he used to get around with the most hairless cheeks on the circuit. Not a single black dot. Seriously, what’s your cosmetic secret Sebastian?
0,2% Michael Jackson
No more than 0.2%, despite what the German driver tells people: “I wanted to be Michael Jackson when I was little (…) it was gutting to realise that I had no voice.” It’s not just the voice, Sebastian.
59,8% Lionel Messi
First, the great German shares his amazing precociousness with the little Argentine. He has smashed the stopwatches and brought down records since his arrival among the greats, in 2007, aged just 20 years and two months: the youngest driver to start on pole position and youngest winner of a GP in 2008, youngest runner-up in 2009, and youngest world champion in 2010.
Vettel’s dominance, like Messi’s, has that relentless consistency that makes us want to hug all his opponents who, try as they may, don’t stand a chance. And this year Vettel just matched Messi’s four consecutive Ballons d’Or with his fourth F1 world champion title. Hats off to them both.
28 % only child.
Sebastian Vettel is something of a prodigal son who enjoyed instant success. Like all spoiled children, as long as things go his way, all is well in the best of worlds. But the plot thickens a bit when things don’t flow as expected. As happened on Sunday 24th March, 2013, at the Malaysian GP where Vettel started on pole and was lapping at a good rate after his second stop a few meters behind teammate Mark Webber. The triple world champion resented his team not allowing him to compete for first place: he attempted a risky overtaking move, missed it but stayed wheel-to-wheel with Webber, and roared past him a few laps later. The little voice in the radio called the manoeuvre “idiotic”, but Vettel didn’t care so long as he got the 25 points for the victory. “But Seb made his own decision today and will have protection as usual and that is the way it goes,” was Webber’s cold analysis. Spoiled rotten, we say.
By Gino Delmas
