Sebastian VettelSebastian Vettel (born July 3, 1987 in Heppenheim, West Germany) is a German race car driver, and the 2009 Formula One World Drivers' Championship Runner-up. He drives for Red Bull Racing.As of the end of 2009, Vettel holds numerous Formula One records, mostly for being the youngest driver to achieve a certain feat. By taking part in Friday practice for the 2006 Turkish Grand Prix, Vettel became the youngest Formula One driver to drive at a Grand Prix meeting, at 19 years and 53 days. He went on to become the sixth youngest driver to start a Grand Prix and the youngest driver to score points in a Grand Prix. On Sunday September 30, 2007, during the Japanese Grand Prix Vettel became the youngest driver to lead a Formula One race. During qualifying for the 2008 Italian Grand Prix, Vettel became the youngest Formula One driver to secure pole position. He went on to win the race, making him the youngest F1 race winner by nearly a year. Vettel is also the youngest driver to achieve maiden victories for two different teams, and became the youngest Formula One World Drivers' Championship Runner-up in history.
Race of Champions
Sebastian VettelVettel competed in the 2007 Race of Champions, representing the German team alongside Michael Schumacher. Vettel and Schumacher won the Nation's Cup Title, after exciting finals. Vettel had to beat two RoC champions, Heikki Kovalainen and Marcus Grönholm, after Schumacher stalled his car. Vettel lost the individual competition however, in first heat, in his second battle against Kovalainen. Vettel also competed in the 2008 Race of Champions, alongside Michael Schumacher. Once again they won the Nation's Cup Title after a close final against Scandinavia. In the Driver's Cup, Vettel beat Troy Bayliss in Round One, but lost to Sebastien Loeb in the Quarter-Finals. Again Vettel teamed up with Michael Schumacher for the 2009 RoC Nations Cup, which they went on to win in a run-off against the Great Britain team of Jenson Button and Andy Priaulx.
Sebastian VettelVettel's helmet, like most of Red Bull's drivers, is heavily influenced by the energy drink company logo. Apart from minor changes and sponsorship differences, it has rarely changed over the years since he has been backed by Red Bull.
Sebastian VettelNew to Vettel's helmet since the start of 2008 has been the incorporation of the Kreis Bergstraße Coat of Arms on the front, just underneath the visor.
Red Bull Racing 2009
Vettel at the 2009 Japanese Grand Prix, where he took his fourth career win.
At the start of the 2009 season, Vettel replaced David Coulthard at Red Bull Racing.
Vettel began strongly at the Australian Grand Prix, qualifying third and running in second for the majority of the race. However, a clash with Robert Kubica over second place on the third last lap of the race forced both to retire. Vettel attempted to finish the race on three wheels behind the safety car to salvage some points, but eventually pulled off to the side. He thought that he would be able to attempt this because the yellow flag resulting from his incident forbids overtaking; instead he was given a ten-place grid penalty for the next race, the Malaysian Grand Prix, and his team was fined for instructing him to stay on track after the damage occurred.[24] In Malaysia he qualified in third position, but was demoted down to 13th due to his ten-place grid drop. He spun out of the race while eighth, just before the race was stopped due to adverse weather conditions.[25] However in China he went on to take pole position, the first for the Red Bull Racing team. He went on to win the race ahead of team-mate Mark Webber, again a first for his team, which scored its first victory and one-two finish in the same race.
Sebastian VettelIn the Bahrain Grand Prix, Vettel qualified in third with a time of 1:34.015 and ended up 2nd behind Jenson Button in the race. In the Spanish Grand Prix, he qualified in second but finished the race in fourth, behind his team-mate Mark Webber who finished in third. Vettel won the British Grand Prix after claiming pole position in qualifying. At the German Grand Prix he qualified fourth and finished second, behind his team teammate Mark Webber, who won his first Grand Prix. At the Hungarian Grand Prix Vettel qualified second after an eventful qualifying, but had to retire from the race on lap 30 after his car sustained damage from contact with Kimi Räikkönen's car earlier in the race.
At the European Grand Prix he qualified fourth but had to retire from the race with an engine failure. It was second engine failure for Vettel during the weekend. He finished third at the Belgian Grand Prix, and struggled for pace at Monza, finishing 8th at a race he previously won. He qualified 2nd at Singapore, but was given a drive-though penalty for speeding in the pit lane and damaged the diffuser on a kerb, struggling to 4th. He subsequently won the Japanese Grand Prix from pole position. During the Brazilian Grand Prix at São Paulo, Vettel was knocked out of a completely drenched qualifying after finishing in 16th place.
At the 2009 Brazilian Grand Prix Vettel qualified 16th behind title rival Jenson Button (14th) and Rubens Barrichello (1st) his team-mate Mark Webber qualified 2nd with Adrian Sutil for Force India qualified 3rd. Vettel needed to score at least 2nd place this race to keep his title hopes alive. He finished 4th with Button finishing 5th giving Button the Championship and moving Vettel up into 2nd place. He officially claimed 2nd place by winning the inaugural Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, again ahead of teammate Webber with Button completing the podium. By Button not winning the last race, Sebastian Vettel became the only driver to win races in both the first and the second half of the 2009 season. At the race, he also scored his third fastest lap of the year, drawing him level with team-mate Webber. However, as Vettel had more second fastest laps, he won the 2009 DHL Fastest Lap Award.[31]
On 21 August 2009 it was announced Red Bull and Vettel have extended his contract until the end of the 2011 season