BMW Sauber F1 Team
Driver Profile

Sebastian Vettel: Angelic Disguise, Test and Reserve Driver

Never judge a book by its cover, and this is certainly true for the young German who looks more like a choirboy than a ruthless racing driver. His fresh-faced, angelic disposition certainly belies the talent of this 19year-old, who is as determined as they come. When he joined the ranks in 2006, he added a new perspective to the team, and was the youngest driver ever to take part in a grand prix weekend when he took to the wheel of the car on 25th August as the team’s Friday driver at the Turkish GP. He also picked up another record – where no other driver had picked up a speeding fine that quickly – Vettel did it in nine seconds, claiming his first fine, for speeding in the pit lane!

Taking the bull by its horns, the young man from Heppenheim claimed fastest overall that Friday, which hardly came as a surprise to those who had followed his meteoric rise. Yet, he takes it in his stride with a cool and level headed intent, instead considering it as being part of his job.

Early wins
Vettel had been a winner ever since he first donned an overall and a helmet. In 1995 he claimed his first kart win in the Bambini class in Wittgenborn. In 2001 he was the European and German Junior Kart Champion, in addition to winning the highly regarded Monaco and Paris-Bercy kart races. When he switched to Formula racing in 2003, he was again amongst the winner’s ranks. At only 15, he embraced his first season in the Formula BMW ADAC Championship. By the end of the year he had turned 16 and was Rookie Champion and runner-up in the series.

His second year in BMW’s entry-level series in 2004 saw him take the title and set the record that will take a long time to beat: 18 wins from 20 races, 15 pole positions, 16 fastest laps, 387 out of 400 points. Recognising his prodigious talent, BMW offered him a joint contract with Red Bull.

2005 saw him move up to the Formula 3 Euro Series, where he added another Rookie Championship to his CV, finishing fifth overall in the championship. After landing on the podium six times, on 27th September 2005, BMW gave him his first test in an F1 car at Jerez. At the end of the season he went on to demonstrate his talent in the toughest F3 race of all, and came third in Macau.

The next season, Vettel claimed his first wins in the Formula 3, triumphant at Hockenheim, the Nürburgring and Barcelona. He also contested a few races in the World Series by Renault, winning a race at Misano. But the year was not entirely trouble-free, after suffering a big accident in Spa at the end of July. Flying debris almost sliced off part of his index finger. The predictions had him out of action for several weeks, but Vettel defied the odds to return at the wheel in the Formula 3 Masters a week later in Zandvoort, astonishing his own team boss by finishing sixth.

His break was to come shortly after this episode. When the BMW Sauber F1 Team were on the hunt for a Friday driver to replace Robert Kubica, who had been promoted to a race seat from the Hungarian GP, Vettel was given a second test with the team at Jerez and did enough to persuade BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen that he need look no further. The remaining rounds of the season witnessed the youngster slip into his new role with ease, so well that the team announced him as the official test and reserve driver for 2007 just before the Brazilian season finale.

The fact that the international F1 media however knew very little about him soon changed. From his first appearance as a Friday driver, the young lad was the talk of the paddock. His sense of humour struck a chord with the British media when he declared himself a fan of the popular UK TV series Little Britain, stated the Beatles as his favourite group and Monty Python’s Life of Brian as his favourite film.
 
His self-assured manner and ability to answer even the most searching questions from seasoned journalists earned him respect, his easygoing manner ensuring his popularity.

Factbox: Sebastian Vettel