Wiki and biography of Sebastian Vettel

Sebastian Vettel is the current world champion for Formula 1 racing (year 2011) and drives for Red Bull Racing. He had also won the race held in the year 2010. Born on 3July, 1987 and holds the record for being the youngest ever championship runner up for the year 2009 which was his first year of driving for the Red Bull team. Due to him Red Bull Racing won its first pole position and race win the history of the team. And as mentioned above the next year itself he went on to become the youngest driver to win the World Drivers' Championship. In his list of achievements the same year he added another feather by winning the team's first World Constructors' Championship, along with teammate Mark Webber.

Early and personal life

Born in Heppenheim, West Germany, Vettel has a younger brother and two elder sisters. His childhood heroes are three Michaels- Michael Schumacher, Michael Jackson and Michael Jordan.

 

Career of Sebastian Vettel

1995- Vettel started his racing career karts and won several titles in the kart races like Junior Monaco Kart Cup in 2001. 2003- Upgraded to open-wheel cars 2004- Vettel won 18 out of 20 races in the German Formula BMW Championship 2005- Vettel drove for ASL Mucke Motorsport in the Formula Three Euroseries and garnered 64 points with fifth position winning him the year’s top rookie honors. 2006- Finished as runner-up in 2006 F3 Euroseries behind series leader and team mate Paul di Resta. Debuted in World Series by Renault at Misano after Pastor Maldonado was disqualified and won the round.

 

F1 career of Sebastian Vettel

2006-2007: BMW Sauber

2006

In 2006 Turkish Grand Prix, Vettel became the third BMW Sauber driver. Vettel set the fastest time during his test debut in the second Friday Free Practice just before the race. Vettel set the record time for both his practice test sessions in the 2006 Italian Grand Prix where racing BMW cars were quick and where is predecessor Robert Kubica finished in the podium.

2007

Vettel was confirmed as a BMW test driver in 2007 and got the opportunity to substitute BMW driver Kubica when he was hurt in a crash at the Canadian Grand Prix. He scored his first Championship point in Formula Renault series and overtook Jenson Button to become the youngest driver to get a Championship point.

 

2007-2008 F1 career of Sebastian Vettel

2007

BMW freed Vettel and he joined Red Bull's Scuderia Toro Rosso team. For the first season with Toro Rosso he earned approximately US$165,000. Vettel received a 10 place grid penalty after a accident involving hi and Webber in which Lewis Hamilton too contributed to some extent but this was lifted after some video arising which showed the reason of accident to be Hamilton's behaviour behind the safety car.

2008

This year Vettel had to face a series of bad lucks. Ranging from punctures to engine overheating to being the sufferer due to the mistakes of other drivers- this year was totally bad for Vettel who had to face failures for no mistake of his own. However this year in Italian Grand Prix, Vettel made history by becoming the youngest ever driver to win the Grand Prix. This and some more achievement in the Italian Grand Prix led to the German media comparing him to Michael Schumacher. In the Brazilian Grand Prix he nearly deprived Lewis Hamilton the championship and was named Autosport Rookie of the Year.

 

Vettel association with Red Bull

2009

In the start of season in 2009 Vettel began strongly at the Australian Grand prix where he qualified third and ran in second for majority of the race. However, a clash between Robert Kubica and himself for the second place in the third to last lap of the race let both to retire. Vettel tried to salvage some points by running his car on three wheels behind the safety car. He did this because of the yellow flag which prohibited him from overtaking, but he ended up with a ten-place grid penalty for the Malaysian Grand Prix and his team too was fined for instructing him to stay of track even after the car was damaged. However in China Vettel brought his team and himself the pole position for the first time. At the age of 21 years and 287 days Vettel became the youngest ever F1 racer to win F1 for two team- for Red Bull and for Torro Rosso in the Italian Grand Prix of 2008.

2010

Vettel continued his association with Red Bull for 2010 and took the first pole position in the Bahrain Grand Prix. He led most of the races in the match but a spark plug fire slowed down the time for each lap and he ended the race with fourth position. His first win of 2010 came in Malaysian Grand Prix with team partner Webber coming in the second position. At Turkish Grand Prix Vettel qualified at the third position and was running second on the track when he had a collision with team mate Webber and finished 5th on the driver’s championship. In the European Grand Prix Vettel led from the start till end and won his second win of the season. In Belgium Vettel hit Button’s car while trying to pass it and ended by hitting and retiring him but suffered a puncture himself while trying to pass Liuzzi. He finished the lap on the punctured wheel and scored 15th position which was his worst ever.

2011

After the Grand Prix at Bahrain was postponed, Vettel defended his title in style in the Australian Grand Prix by scoring a pole position and finishing the race 22 seconds ahead of his title rival Lewis Hamilton. In the Malaysian Grand Prix too his defended his title well by scoring pole position and winning the race. At the Turkish Grand Prix Vettel got very little practice due to a crash in the first session but even then he achieved his fifth consecutive pole position and won the race extending his lead over Hamilton with over 34 points. His streak ended in Spanish Grand Prix where his KERS failed him and his team mate Webber took pole and he won over Hamilton by 0.6 seconds. In Monaco Grand Prix he set the second best qualifying time scored on the Monaco track. In Japan, Vettel only needed a single championship point to secure his second championship which he did after scoring his twelfth pole win after a struggling race due to worn out tyres.