(Abu Dhabi) Youngest world champion in the history of Formula 1, four times titled, the German Sebastian Vettel will turn the page on Sunday of an extraordinary career completed in sporting anonymity, but at the forefront of environmental claims.
At the twilight of his career, golden hair has become as long as his prize list, Vettel leaves without regret a sport he loved, but which ended up becoming a “routine”.
It must be said that since his last victory, with Ferrari in 2019, and even more since his arrival at Aston Martin in 2020, he is more subscribed to the second part of the classification. A far cry from his best years, which brought back fond memories of a certain “Kaiser”.
Born on July 3, 1987, 17 and a half years after Michael Schumacher, Vettel was titled four times consecutively, from 2010 to 2013. Enough to measure up to the German master, who however remains out of reach with seven titles, a record shared with Lewis Hamilton.
Vettel won all his titles driving a Renault-powered Red Bull, while Schumacher won two with Benetton (1994-1995) and five with Ferrari (2000-2004).
Certainly remained in the statistical shadow of his illustrious elder, Vettel has however built a considerable trophy cabinet. Third driver in history to count the most victories (53), only “Schumi” (91) and Hamilton (103) do better.
Champion from 23 years old
Above all, Vettel stood out by signing a series of early records, some of which still stand, such as that of the youngest world champion, at 23 years and four months.
The native of Heppenheim, near Frankfurt, made his racing debut at the United States Grand Prix in 2007, scoring his first point there (8e place) to become, at the time, the youngest driver in history to do so.
Passed from BMW-Sauber to Toro Rosso in mid-2007, he asserts himself as a great hope. At the Italian GP at Monza in 2008, he became the youngest author of a pole position (a record still valid) and the youngest winner, at 21 years and 73 days, in the rain. This record will only be taken away from him in 2016 by Max Verstappen, winner in Spain at the age of 18.
But since his four titles, the winds have gradually become contrary.
It is his relative failure with Ferrari that remains the black point of his career. Arrived in 2015 to replace Fernando Alonso, he will not have more success than the Spaniard in bringing the Italian team back to the top, his last title still dating from 2007 with Kimi Raïkkönen.
PHOTO OLIVIER JEAN, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Sebastian Vettel
Vettel could not do better than Hamilton’s runner-up twice in 2017 and 2018, obtaining a total of 14 victories at the wheel of Maranello’s red cars.
The Italian adventure will end in 2020 in virtual anonymity with a humiliating 13e place in the championship in the shadow of his young teammate, the Monegasque Charles Leclerc.
After the first rumors of retirement, he decided to continue his career at Aston Martin at 33, but did not do much better, finishing 12e in the world championship in 2021. Before his last race, Vettel is 11e.
father and activist
What will he now dedicate his life to? “I’m looking forward to doing nothing at the start and seeing what it does to me,” he smiled, explaining that he had “ideas outside of racing”.
“After so many years (16), we know how to do this job, I’m not going to say while sleeping, it would be arrogant, but with a lot of routine”, he noted, a bit jaded, now wanting ” spend more time with my children and my family.
For this father of three children, “it will obviously be a different challenge, at a different pace”.
Vettel will also be able to take care of his off-track fights which marked his last years. Committed to the rights of the LGBTQ+ community, defender of the environment, Vettel has made his weekends the banner of the causes and actions he defends.
Able to wear a helmet bearing slogans hostile to the exploitation of the oil sands in Canada in 2022, or another decorated with bees, he also promotes synthetic fuels, presented as one of the solutions to reduce the carbon footprint of the F1.
“With my passion comes certain aspects that I’ve learned to dislike,” he admitted when announcing his retirement in July. “The will to make these changes needs to be much stronger and lead to action. Talking is not enough, we cannot wait. There is no other choice, the race is on”.