Scuderia Ferrari German driver Sebastian Vettel is far and away the most successful graduate from Red Bull’s young driver programme. Four championships. 51 wins. 106 podiums. 55 pole positions. It’s a phenomenal record but one that was not built on a statistically stellar junior career. He won 18 out of 20 races on the way to the Formula BMW title, but that was his only crown pre-Formula 1. Even Vettel wasn’t sure he had what it took to compete at the highest level, even when he had made it to F1, so high are the standards he set for himself.
“When I was growing up and coming through different categories, it wasn’t until very late that I was convinced I could have a successful career in racing,” he told Formula1.com. “You just focus on what you’re doing at the time. Every single step. The target was to reach F1, but still, even when I reached F1, I wasn’t convinced. After a couple of years and winning some races, then you realise you have a career. But before that, I never really liked to call it a career.”
BMW and Red Bull saw something in him, though. “From the very first day, I have got scripts from him from his time in Formula BMW which you wouldn’t see from any other driver,” his former BMW Sauber Team principal Mario Theissen told Formula1.com. “He was disciplined. When returning to a track, he always had his notes from the last race. He prepared very well. If Formula BMW practice was at 8am, he would get up four hours before, do his training in the gym and then head to the track. At the age of 15, his behaviour was already what you would expect from a true F1 professional.”
Theissen, who caught up with Vettel at the German Grand Prix last month, reckons that work ethic is a result of him “loving what he does” and also knowing that “without hard work, he could not get anywhere because his parents could not finance a racing career.”
He says Michael Schumacher was a role model for him. “Sebastian understood from Michael that the ingredients to become a successful driver are not just down to what you do in the car.” Franz Tost, Vettel’s boss at Toro Rosso, adds: “Sebastian understands that getting a team together and keeping a high level of motivation is decisive for success.”
Sebastian Vettel’s first F1 victory was something special. The German danced his Toro Rosso around a drenched Monza to triumph for Toro Rosso in 2008. That result, along with a strong end to his first full season, was enough for the senior Red Bull outfit to come calling for 2009.
More wins followed and then there was the first title the year after, clinched at the final Grand Prix having never led the championship at any other point up until then. “Sebastian proved he has the mental strength when he won the championship in 2010,” said Tost. “He is mentally strong enough to manage this pressure. He has proved this time and time again.”
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