Sebastian Vettel

Sebastian Vettel
Vettel in 2015
Nationality	German
Born	03 1987 (1987-Template:Pad2digit-Template:Pad2digit)
Years	2007–2022
Car number	3
Races	299
Championships	4 (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013)
Wins	53
Podiums	122
Poles	57
Fastest laps	38
Points	3098

Sebastian Vettel (born 3 July 1987) is a German racing driver who competed in Formula One for Aston Martin, having previously driven for BMW Sauber, Toro Rosso, Red Bull, and Ferrari. Vettel is one of the most successful drivers in Formula One history and has won four World Drivers' Championship titles, which he won consecutively from 2010 to 2013. Vettel is the youngest World Champion in Formula One; he also has the third-most race victories (53) and podium finishes (122), and fourth-most pole positions (57).

Vettel started his Formula One career as a test driver for BMW Sauber in 2006, making a one-off racing appearance in 2007. As part of the Red Bull Junior Team, Vettel appeared for Toro Rosso later that year and was kept as a full-time driver for 2008. Vettel was promoted to Red Bull in 2009. With Red Bull, Vettel won four consecutive titles from 2010 to 2013, the first of which made him the sport's youngest World Champion, setting the records for the most consecutive race wins (9) and race wins in a single season (13). Vettel signed for Ferrari for 2015 and became Mercedes' and Lewis Hamilton's closest challenger in two title fights in 2017 and 2018, although he finished both years as runner-up. He left Ferrari to race with Aston Martin for the 2021 and 2022 seasons, before announcing his plans to retire from Formula One at the end of the 2022 season.

Early and personal life

Vettel was born in Heppenheim, West Germany. He has one younger brother, Fabian, and two older sisters, Melanie, a horserider and Stefanie, a physiotherapist to disabled children. Vettel suggested in an interview that he was terrible at school, but he actually earned his Abitur (high school diploma) with a respectable grade. He also mentioned that his childhood heroes were "The three Michaels", who were Michael Schumacher, Michael Jordan and Michael Jackson. He stated that he wanted to be a singer like Michael Jackson but realised that he could not as he did not have the voice. Vettel is also a fan of The Beatles, collecting several records, including Abbey Road and his favourite song being Drive My Car. In an interview on Top Gear, Vettel stated that he was a fan of British comedy such as Little Britain and Monty Python's Life of Brian. Vettel lives in Switzerland amongst other racing drivers and is a fan of German football team Eintracht Frankfurt. Vettel has described himself as competitive, private and impatient. Vettel also appears in advertisements for Head & Shoulders. In the German version of Cars 2, Vettel featured as a voice-over.

Vettel married childhood friend Hanna Prater at a private ceremony in early 2019, and they have three children. In 2016, Forbes estimated that his annual income was $41 million. Kimi Räikkönen, his teammate from 2015 to 2018, is a close friend. Besides his native German, Vettel speaks English, French, Finnish and Italian. In July 2022, he created his Instagram account, having long eschewed social media. Vettel's first Instagram post was to announce his retirement from Formula One at the end of the 2022 season.

Early career

Junior series

Vettel demonstrating his Formula Three Euroseries car in 2006

Vettel, on an episode of Letterman, said he started amateur karting at the young age of 3½. Vettel began racing in karts series in 1995, at the age of eight, winning various titles such as the Junior Monaco Kart Cup in 2001. In 2003, he upgraded to open-wheel cars and won the 2004 German Formula BMW Championship with 18 victories from 20 races. In 2005 he drove for ASL Mucke Motorsport in the Formula Three Euroseries. He was placed fifth in the final standings with 64 points, winning the year's top rookie honours. He tested the Williams FW27 Formula One car on 27 September as a reward for this Formula BMW success. He then went on to test for the BMW Sauber team.

Vettel finished as runner-up in the 2006 F3 Euroseries, behind series leader and team mate Paul di Resta. He also made his debut in the World Series by Renault at Misano, winning after Pastor Maldonado was disqualified. However, at the next round at Spa-Francorchamps, his finger was almost sliced off by flying débris in an accident, and he was expected to be out of racing for several weeks. Nevertheless, he managed to compete in the Ultimate Masters of F3 at Zandvoort the following weekend, finishing in sixth place. He also set the third-fastest lap time, and it surprised his ASM team boss Frédéric Vasseur. Vasseur said: "I was impressed for sure, because at the beginning of the week I was sure he wouldn't race! But he showed good pace from the first practice session. I can't imagine he's 100 per cent but at least we know we can be competitive in the next F3 Euroseries round at the Nürburgring next weekend – that's important."

Vettel competed in the World Series by Renault in 2007, and took his first win at the Nürburgring. He was leading the championship when he was called up to Formula One permanently. His seat was taken by Michael Ammermüller.

Formula One

Vettel during practice at the 2006 Brazilian Grand Prix

Vettel made his Formula One debut at the 2007 United States Grand Prix, driving for BMW Sauber.

2006–2007: BMW Sauber

2006

See also: 2006 Formula One season

Vettel became BMW Sauber third driver at the 2006 Turkish Grand Prix, when former incumbent Robert Kubica was called up to replace Jacques Villeneuve for the 2006 Hungarian Grand Prix.

On his testing debut, Vettel set the fastest time in the second Friday Free Practice before the race. In his second testing session in the 2006 Italian Grand Prix, he set the fastest time in both Friday practice sessions, a race weekend in which all the BMW cars were quick, with his predecessor Robert Kubica finishing on the podium in the race.

2007

See also: 2007 Formula One season

Vettel was confirmed as BMW's test driver for 2007. Following the serious crash of regular BMW driver Kubica at the Canadian Grand Prix, Vettel substituted for him at the United States Grand Prix. Vettel was pulled mid-season from the Formula Renault series, which he was leading at that time. He started in seventh position on the grid, finishing in eighth position to take his first World Championship point and became the youngest driver ever to score a point in Formula One (at the age of 19 years and 349 days), a record previously held by Jenson Button – who was 20 years and 67 days old when he finished sixth at the 2000 Brazilian Grand Prix.

2007–2008: Toro Rosso

2007

On 31 July 2007, BMW released Vettel to join Red Bull's Scuderia Toro Rosso team, replacing Scott Speed as one of its drivers from the Hungarian Grand Prix onwards. He earned approximately US$165,000 for finishing the season with Toro Rosso. Before the race, it was also announced that Vettel would drive for Toro Rosso in 2008, alongside Sébastien Bourdais.

Vettel driving the Toro Rosso STR2 at the 2007 Brazilian Grand Prix

Vettel struggled for his first couple of races while cutting his teeth with his new team, but managed two impressive drives in his 5th and 6th drives for Toro Rosso, a team that was averaging a little worse than 14th place in the 2007 season before Vettel's arrival. In the rain-hit Japanese Grand Prix at Fuji, Vettel worked his way up to third, behind Lewis Hamilton and Red Bull Racing's Mark Webber, and seemed to be on course for not only his but also Toro Rosso's maiden podium finish. However, Vettel crashed into Webber under safety car conditions taking them both out of the race and prompting Webber to say to ITV reporter Louise Goodman "It's kids isn't it... kids with not enough experience – you do a good job and then they fuck it all up." Webber also specifically criticized Lewis Hamilton's erratic behaviour in contributing to the accident, describing his antics behind the safety car as 'shit'." Vettel was initially punished with a ten-place grid penalty for the following race, but this was lifted after a spectator video on YouTube showed the incident may have been caused by Hamilton's behaviour behind the safety car. Vettel bounced back to finish a career-best fourth a week later at the Chinese Grand Prix having started 17th on the grid while in mixed conditions. He collected five championship points, making it both his and Toro Rosso's best race result.

Red Bull owner Dietrich Mateschitz stated his belief Vettel would be one of Formula One's big stars in the future. "Vettel is one of the young guys with extraordinary potential [...] He is fast, he is intelligent, and he is very interested in the technical side."

2008

See also: 2008 Formula One season

After four races of the 2008 season, Vettel was the only driver to have failed to finish a single race, having retired on the first lap in three of them. In each of these three instances, he was involved in accidents caused by other drivers, the other being an engine failure. However, at the fifth round at the Turkish Grand Prix, he finally saw the chequered flag, albeit finishing in 17th after qualifying 14th and suffering a puncture on the opening lap. In the next race at the Monaco Grand Prix, Vettel scored his first points of the season with a fifth place finish, after qualifying 17th. He scored again at the Canadian Grand Prix fighting off Heikki Kovalainen in the last few laps for the final championship point, having started from pit lane. Vettel finished 12th in France, before retiring on lap one at the wet British Grand Prix after being clipped by David Coulthard and aquaplaned into the gravel trap along with Coulthard. He earned another point at the German Grand Prix, fending off Fernando Alonso and securing eighth after Jarno Trulli ran wide. Vettel retired in Hungary after his engine overheated during his first pit stop. He impressed many at the European Grand Prix by setting the fastest times in the first practice session and second qualifying session, before qualifying sixth on the grid. Vettel finished the race in sixth, two seconds behind Jarno Trulli. Toro Rosso's technical director Giorgio Ascanelli explained said that something changed at the European Grand Prix in Valencia: "Suddenly Vettel understood something about how to drive an F1 car quickly. It made a huge difference - not only to the speed he could unlock, but also to his ability to do so consistently."

Vettel driving for Toro Rosso at the 2008 Canadian Grand Prix

At the 2008 Italian Grand Prix, Vettel became the youngest driver in history to win a Formula One Grand Prix. Aged 21 years and 74 days, Vettel broke the record set by Fernando Alonso at the 2003 Hungarian Grand Prix by 317 days when he won in wet conditions at Monza. Vettel led for the majority of the Grand Prix and crossed the finish line 12.5 seconds ahead of McLaren's Heikki Kovalainen. It was the first podium and win for his Toro Rosso team. Earlier in the weekend, he had already become the youngest polesitter, after setting the fastest times in both Q2 and Q3 qualifying stages, and his win also gave him the record of youngest podium-finisher. Toro Rosso team boss Gerhard Berger said, "As he proved today, he can win races, but he's going to win world championships. He's a cool guy". Hamilton praised the German, stating that this victory showed "how good he is". The nature of the victory and the story of the 21 year old's fledgling career led the German media to dub him "baby Schumi", although Vettel was quick to downplay the expectation the result has brought, particularly the comparison with the seven-time World Champion: "To compare me with Michael Schumacher is just a bit ridiculous...It will be difficult in normal conditions for us to repeat this achievement". He then went on to finish fifth in Singapore. In Japan, he finished sixth after being promoted from seventh after team-mate Bourdais was penalised for contact with Felipe Massa.

In the Brazilian Grand Prix, after running as high as second in the race on a 3-stop strategy, Vettel overtook Lewis Hamilton in the rain for fifth place on the penultimate lap to contribute to a thrilling climax to the season. He nearly deprived the McLaren driver of the championship before Timo Glock slowed dramatically on the last lap (he was struggling with dry tyres in the ever increasing rain) enabling both Vettel and Hamilton to pass him, earning Hamilton the title, and Vettel fourth place.

After the season had finished Vettel was named Rookie of the Year at the Autosport Awards.

2009–2014: Red Bull

2009

See also: 2009 Formula One season

Vettel at the 2009 Japanese Grand Prix, where he took his fourth career win

At the start of the 2009 season, Vettel replaced the retired David Coulthard at Red Bull Racing, and 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 to 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. 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. 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. At the age of 21 years and 287 days, Vettel became the youngest Grand Prix driver in history to win for two different teams, having won the 2008 Italian Grand Prix for the Toro Rosso team.

In the Bahrain Grand Prix, Vettel qualified in third, and finished second behind Jenson Button in the race. In Spain, 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 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 on the first lap.

Vettel won the inaugural Abu Dhabi Grand Prix; as a result, he finished second in the Drivers' Championship.

At the European Grand Prix, he qualified fourth but had to retire from the race with an engine failure. It was the second engine failure for Vettel during the weekend, and the RB5's reliability issues began to show. He finished third at Spa-Francorchamps, 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, leading every lap and only being denied of the fastest lap by 0.002 seconds by teammate Mark Webber, who did so on the final lap. He would have to wait until the 2011 Indian Grand Prix until he finally achieved a Grand Chelem.

At the Brazilian Grand Prix, Vettel qualified 16th in a rain-hit session, behind title rival Jenson Button (14th) and Rubens Barrichello (1st), while his team-mate Webber qualified second with Adrian Sutil in third. Vettel needed to score at least second place in the race to keep his title hopes alive. He finished fourth with Button behind, giving Button the Championship and moving Vettel up into second place. He officially claimed second place by winning the inaugural Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, again ahead of Webber with Button completing the podium. 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.

2010

See also: 2010 Formula One season

Vettel driving for Red Bull Racing at the 2010 Bahrain Grand Prix, where he took the first pole position of the season

Vettel continued with Red Bull for 2010, and took the first pole position of the season at the Bahrain Grand Prix. Vettel went on to lead most of the race but a spark-plug failure meant that his lap times slowed down, and as a result the two Ferraris and the McLaren of Lewis Hamilton passed him. After a brief challenge from Rosberg he brought the car home in fourth.

At the Australian Grand Prix, Vettel was appointed as a director of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association. He took his second consecutive pole position in Australia, ahead of team-mate Mark Webber, but spun off when leading the race, due to a loose wheel nut. In Malaysia, he took his first win of the 2010 season with Webber coming in second place, having passed both him and Nico Rosberg at turn one.

Vettel qualified on pole at China alongside Webber. At the start of the wet race Fernando Alonso jump-started and Vettel was passed by Webber, dropping back to third. The increasing rain forced Vettel and Webber to pit at the same time for intermediate tyres that wore out after only a few laps and dropped them back into the midfield. Vettel slowly climbed back up to finish sixth, ahead of Webber. In Spain, Vettel was outqualified by team-mate Webber and claimed second on the grid. Despite having a major brake problem during the last eight laps, Vettel managed third place after Hamilton crashed on the penultimate lap.

In Monaco Vettel was again outqualified by Webber. In the race he passed Kubica at the start and stayed there for the remainder of the Grand Prix and made it a Red Bull 1–2. After the race the two Red Bull drivers were equal on points in the drivers' championship, with Webber championship leader based on total wins. At the Turkish Grand Prix he qualified third and was running second behind Webber when he made a passing move on the Australian. The two collided, putting Vettel out of the race and dropping him to fifth in the drivers' championship, with neither driver accepting responsibility for causing the collision. He finished fourth at the Canadian Grand Prix, maintaining his position in the standings. He started the European Grand Prix in pole position and led from start to finish to score his second win of the season.

Vettel won from pole position at the 2010 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix to take the World Drivers' Championship title.

At Silverstone, both Vettel and Webber's cars were fitted with a new design of front wing. Vettel's front wing was damaged in the third practice session, and Webber's sole surviving example was removed and given to Vettel. Vettel qualified in pole position ahead of his team-mate, but suffered a puncture caused by driving wide off the track on the first lap of the race and fell to the tail of the field. He fought back to finish seventh while Webber took the victory. At the German Grand Prix he took pole by 0.002 seconds, and finished in third position in the race, behind the Ferraris of Alonso and Felipe Massa, after a poor start. He also finished third in Hungary after serving a drive-through penalty for exceeding ten lengths behind the previous car, team-mate Webber, under neutralised safety car conditions. In Belgium, he had a tough race, hitting Button's car whilst attempting to pass, causing Button to retire. Vettel pitted and carried on, but then suffered a puncture whilst passing Liuzzi at the same place, completing a whole lap with a puncture. He eventually finished 15th, which was (other than his retirements in Australia and Turkey) was his worst finish of the season. At Monza he finished fourth after an engine problem scare, and at the Singapore Grand Prix, Vettel qualified and finished second, sticking on Alonso's tail for most of the race. He passed Button for fourth place in the championship. At the Japanese Grand Prix, he dominated all practice sessions bar one, as it was postponed after heavy rain. He qualified on pole ahead of team mate Webber and went on to win with a lights-to-flag victory. Aged 23 years and 98 days, Vettel became the youngest Grand Prix driver to win at the same track on two occasions, having also won the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka in 2009. At the first Korean Grand Prix, Vettel took pole and led the first 45 laps of the race before retiring with engine failure, handing victory to Alonso.

At the Brazilian Grand Prix, Vettel qualified second but took the lead at the first corner and led for the entire race to victory. With Webber taking second place, and Alonso finishing third, Vettel went into the final race of the season with a 15-point deficit to Alonso, and a 7-point gap to Webber. With the one-two finish in Brazil, Vettel and Webber secured Red Bull Racing's first Formula One World Constructors' Championship. He won the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix from pole again, to take the drivers' championship lead for the first time in his career and became the youngest world champion in the sport's history. Following James Hunt in the 1976 season, this was also only the second time in Formula One history when the World Champion had not been championship leader at any earlier point in the season.

2011

See also: 2011 Formula One season

Vettel won the 2011 Malaysian Grand Prix, which was his fourth consecutive victory.

After the postponement of the Bahrain Grand Prix, Vettel started his title defence in style in the Australian Grand Prix with pole position and a victory of 22 seconds over title rival Lewis Hamilton, who was nursing home his broken McLaren. Vettel continued his title defence in the Malaysian Grand Prix, where he pipped Hamilton for pole position by a tenth of a second, and went on to win the race from Jenson Button. Vettel completed his third pole position of the season at the Chinese Grand Prix, and appeared to be in dominating form for the majority of the race. However, poor tyre management haunted him in the last several laps, possibly being related to his inability to properly communicate with his team, as his radio was broken. He finished the race second, his championship lead cut to 21 points (by Hamilton) after three races.

The Turkish Grand Prix started out poorly for Vettel, where he had very little practice time during the Friday free practice sessions, including a crash in the first session. Even with the limited practice, he claimed his fifth consecutive pole position and converted it into a win, extending his championship lead over Hamilton to 34 points. At the Spanish Grand Prix his pole position streak ended as his KERS failed him during qualifying. His teammate Webber took pole, but Vettel went on to win the race by 0.6 seconds over Hamilton, as Hamilton chased him down at the end on prime tyres, despite Vettel having to deal with a frequently malfunctioning KERS. The following weekend, in the Monaco Grand Prix, he took pole with the second fastest qualifying time in Monaco's history. Vettel was leading the race with a 5 second gap to second placed Button. Due to a radio malfunction the Red Bull pit crew was not prepared for Vettel when he pitted. The net result was that the pitstop was slow, and that he was sent out on the wrong tyres, handing the lead to Button as well. Vettel switched to a one-stop strategy, and stuck with one set of soft tyres for 56 laps. He was caught by Alonso and Button as his tyres deteriorated, but neither were able to pass him. With a few laps remaining, the race was red-flagged after Vitaly Petrov required an ambulance after an accident. The suspended race allowed teams to change tyres and work on the cars, and when the race was restarted under the safety car, Vettel was able to retain the lead during the last few laps.

Vettel's win at the 2011 Monaco Grand Prix was his first win in the principality, and his fifth win from the first six races of the season.

In Canada, he took his sixth pole position in seven races ahead of Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa. Vettel kept his lead from the start of the race, and for the vast majority of the race he held on to it. The record six safety car periods due to the down-pouring rain and 2 hour race suspension profoundly hurt Vettel's chances of victory, however, as after every safety car restart Vettel would lose the gap he had previously built up on the other drivers. With much fresher tyres, Button caught Vettel and began to pressure him in the last lap. Vettel slid on a damp part of the track at Turn 6, and Button used the opportunity to slip past him to take the victory. Vettel finished second, yet still extended his championship lead to 60 points ahead of Button.

At the European Grand Prix, the FIA began enforcing a controversial ban on engine mappings. It was believed by many in the press that it was an attempt by the FIA to thwart Vettel's domination of the season. The changes appeared to do little to hinder Vettel, as he took pole with the fastest qualifying lap in the track's history. He dominated the race with his first triple of 2011 with pole, fastest lap, and won his sixth race out of eight races. It was the first time in Formula One history where, in the first eight races, a driver finished first in six or more races and second or better in the remaining races.

Vettel took his ninth victory of the season at the Singapore Grand Prix after leading from lights to flag, leaving him within one point of his second World Championship.

The second set of controversial mid-season changes were implemented at Silverstone, targeting the blown diffusers. Red Bull believed the changes cost them about half a second per lap. Webber just edged Vettel for pole position by 0.032 seconds in qualifying. On race day, Vettel made a better start, immediately took the lead and led the first half of the race. A delay at one of his pit stops gave the race lead to Alonso, who passed him in the pit lane, and dropped Vettel back to third, behind Hamilton. Despite a malfunctioning KERS unit, he was able to jump Hamilton in the stops and held off the faster Webber, who ignored a radio message from team principal Christian Horner to hold position, for second place, extending his lead in the championship.

Vettel's run of fourteen successive front-row starts and eleven successive top two finishes ended at his home race, where he qualified third and finished fourth. McLaren's mechanical grip outclassed Red Bull in the wet in Hungary, and despite leading into the first corner from pole, he was quickly passed by both Hamilton and Button. Vettel eventually finished second in the race, held in mixed conditions. In Belgium, Vettel qualified on pole and won the race, his seventh victory of the season and seventeenth of his career. In victory, Vettel extended his lead in the championship to 92 points and, even with seven races left, his tally of 259 points surpassed his own record, from 2010 for the highest number of championship points accumulated in a season. At the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, he took his tenth pole position of the year – joining Ayrton Senna as the only drivers to have taken ten pole positions in two separate seasons – and the 25th of his career, and eventually won the race after passing Alonso, who had overtaken Vettel at the start. Vettel led every lap from pole position in Singapore, despite a safety car period eliminating a 22 second lead that he had held. His ninth win of the season left only Jenson Button in championship contention, who was 124 points behind with five races remaining.

Vettel at the Japanese Grand Prix, where with four races remaining in the season, he secured his place in history as the youngest double World Drivers' Champion.

Vettel arrived in Japan needing only a single championship point, tenth place, to secure his second championship. In qualifying, Vettel recorded his twelfth pole position of the season, his fifth in succession, edging Button by 0.009 seconds. In the race Vettel held the lead until the second pit-stop phase, when Button used the undercut to get past. He remained second after a safety car restart, but because he his tyres wore out not long after that, he slipped down to third behind Alonso. He tried to fight Alonso for the position, but after not getting past his race engineer told him to hold position to take the championship. Another podium secured his second successive title with four races remaining, making him the youngest ever double World Champion and also the youngest back-to-back Champion, joining only eight other drivers who had won consecutive titles. In Korea, Vettel started second, but won the race – becoming the second driver to take at least ten wins in a season after Michael Schumacher – after overtaking Lewis Hamilton on the first lap, building a healthy gap for the rest of the race and securing the fastest lap of the race, on the final lap. He helped secure Red Bull's second successive Constructors' World Championship in the process. Vettel took his eleventh victory of the season in the inaugural Indian Grand Prix, leading every lap from pole position, as well as setting the race's fastest lap on the final lap, despite Red Bull turning down his engine in an effort not to risk the race victory.

At the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Vettel took his fourteenth pole position of 2011 to equal the record of poles in a season set by Nigel Mansell in 1992. Vettel had a good start to maintain the lead by the first corner, but at the second corner, a right rear puncture saw him go sliding off the track. He returned to the pits, but suspension damage forced his first retirement since the 2010 Korean Grand Prix. Vettel then broke the record for the most poles in a season at the next round, the season finale in Brazil. He maintained his lead into the first corner but was slowed by gearbox trouble early in the race. He allowed teammate Webber to pass him as his problem worsened, but eventually finished second ahead of Button to complete a 1–2 for the team upon Webber's only victory of the year. Vettel completed the year with 15 poles, 11 victories and 17 podiums from 19 races; he also gained a total of 392 points in the process.

2012

Vettel driving for Red Bull Racing at the 2012 Malaysian Grand Prix.

Vettel remained at Red Bull for the 2012 season, and is again partnered by Mark Webber. He scored a second place finish at the opening race of the season in Australia. Vettel started fifth in Malaysia, promoted from sixth after Kimi Räikkönen suffered a five-place grid penalty. Vettel spent the majority of the rain-affected race in fourth place, but picked a puncture from a collision with the HRT of Narain Karthikeyan on lap 47. He dropped to twelfth after pitting to replace the tyre, and finished eleventh after Pastor Maldonado retired late in the race with an engine failure. This was Vettel's first finish outside the points since the 2010 Belgian Grand Prix; Karthikeyan was given a 20-second post-race penalty for his part in the collision, which dropped Karthikeyan from 21st to 22nd and last.

After the race, Vettel and Red Bull boss Christian Horner criticised Karthikeyan's driving, with Vettel calling Karthikeyan an "idiot". Karthikeyan hit back at Vettel, calling him a "cry-baby". Later, Karthikeyan decided to call a truce with Vettel, stating his respect for Vettel's abilities and saying "I think we have to deal with it in a mature way and forget about it." Vettel qualified eleventh for the Chinese Grand Prix; the first time he had qualified outside the top ten since the 2009 Brazilian Grand Prix, although he ran as high as 2nd with 7 laps remaining until tyre wear on a 2-stop strategy took its toll and he dropped to 5th by the flag.

Vettel took his first victory of 2012 in Bahrain

Vettel qualified in pole position for the first time in 2012 at the Bahrain Grand Prix. Vettel was able to lead for most of the race, despite coming under pressure from Kimi Räikkönen, and crossed the line in first place to take his first victory of the season; the result also saw Vettel go top of the driver's standings for the first time in 2012. At the Spanish GP, he maintained his championship lead, albeit only on countback, after a 6th place finish having started 7th following on from a qualifying session in which he didn't set a time in Q3. Vettel received a drive-through penalty for failing to slow for yellow flags during the race as well as having to change his front wing as a result of debris from an incident involving Michael Schumacher and Bruno Senna. After an eventful race at Monaco, he placed fourth, gaining 5 places from his ninth-place grid position.

Vettel took his second victory of the 2012 season at the Singapore Grand Prix.

Vettel claimed his 2nd pole position for the season in Canada, however he dropped to 3rd after the first pitstops and then trying to go the remaining distance of the same tyres, he fell back in the closing stages and had to make a late stop for new tyres. He eventually came 4th. At the following race in Valencia, he claimed his 33rd pole position, going 3rd equal with Jim Clark and Alain Prost in the all time list. However joy turned to despair in the race as a 20 second lead in the first 20 laps was reduced to nothing by a safety car appearance. On the first lap of the restart, his car ground to a halt, with an alternator failure being the cause. Vettel would have taken the lead in the standings- instead, he fell back to 4th behind Alonso (who won), Hamilton and Webber.

At Silverstone, Vettel qualified 4th after a wet session which, at one point, had to be suspended for over 1 hour due to torrential rain. In the dry race he overcame a slow start, where he dropped to 5th, to finish 3rd behind Webber and Alonso. In Germany he started second, but before the third pit-stop, he was attacked by Hamilton, who wanted to unlap himself, lost some time, and was overtaken by Button after the pit-stop. On the penultimate lap he passed Button and finished second behind Alonso. After the race, however, the stewards found that Vettel was off the track when he overtook Button and so they awarded him a 20 second time penalty which dropped him back to fifth. At the following race in Hungary, Vettel finished 4th after starting 3rd. Then, at the Belgian Grand Prix, he fought back from a poor qualifying, where he was knocked out in Q2 to start 10th, and a poor start in which he had to avoid the big accident ahead of him. Having ended the first lap in 12th, he managed to finish 2nd. At Round 13 in Italy, Vettel started 5th and was running 4th until he forced Fernando Alonso onto the grass, for which he received a drive-through penalty for, dropping him to 9th. Then, having recovered to 6th with 5 laps to go, the alternator on his car failed for the second time in the weekend. Vettel was classified 22nd, with championship leader Alonso coming 3rd and Hamilton winning. At the Singapore Grand Prix, Vettel qualified 3rd, but overtook Pastor Maldonado at the start, before the leader Lewis Hamilton retired with a car failure. Vettel then kept the lead until the 2 hour race limit was reached. It was his first win in 10 races, ending his worst run since his maiden win (which came in his 22nd race). At Suzuka for the Japanese Grand Prix, Vettel took his 2nd career Grand Slam (Pole, Fastest Lap and lead every lap) and coupled with Alonso retiring on the first lap, he cut the gap down to just 4 points. After winning at the Korean Grand Prix, the Indian Grand Prix brought another victory, as Vettel topped all three practice sessions before taking pole position and leading every lap of the race to win.

During qualifying at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Vettel was told to stop the car due to a fuel pump issue; he was forced to start from the pit lane. From last place, Vettel fought his way back to finish in third place. He started the last race in Brazil with a 13-point cushion against Alonso. On the opening lap, Vettel spun after an incident with Bruno Senna. Following changing weather conditions, Vettel climbed up to finish in sixth place to win the championship by three points and to become the youngest ever triple world champion. He also became the third driver to acquire three consecutive championships, after Juan Manuel Fangio and Schumacher.

2013–2014: Quadruple world champion, nine wins in a row, and departure from Red Bull

Vettel (left) controversially passing teammate Mark Webber at the 2013 Malaysian Grand Prix, despite team orders to maintain position

Vettel started the first two races of the 2013 season on pole position, and at the Malaysian Grand Prix, he lapped over 2.5 seconds faster than teammate Webber in qualifying during a wet session. He won the race, though not without controversy. Vettel ignored the team orders and passed Webber for the lead. Webber was furious after the race and said that Vettel "will have protection as usual and that's the way it goes". Team principal Horner, although unhappy with Vettel's actions, pointed out that Webber had defied team orders on several previous occasions. He acknowledged that the already fragile relationship between the two drivers had further broken down as a result of the incident. Vettel claimed that he was not sorry for winning and that if the situation presented itself again, he would have passed Webber despite the order, adding that he felt Webber did not deserve to win the race.

Following wins in Bahrain and Canada, his championship lead was cut at the British Grand Prix as he was denied a likely win due to gearbox failure. Vettel bounced back to win his home race in Germany for the first time. After he finished third in Hungary, Vettel won the last nine races of the season, including grand slams in Singapore and Korea. Vettel set the record for most consecutive race wins with nine and he became only the third man after Alberto Ascari and Jim Clark to take consecutive grand slams. He sealed his fourth world title at the Indian Grand Prix.

[

'"It's very difficult for me personally, to receive boos, even though you haven't done anything wrong."'

]

On several occasions during the season, spectators booed Vettel. Although the booing was widely condemned by fellow drivers, the media and others in the paddock, Vettel revealed that it had a negative impact on him.

For the 2014 season and beyond, drivers picked a unique car number to use for the remainder of their Formula One career; Vettel chose the number five. However, as reigning World Drivers' Champion, he carried number one throughout the season. Webber left the sport and was replaced by Daniel Ricciardo, who was promoted from Toro Rosso.

Vettel struggled with reliability issues throughout winter testing, and forced him to retire at the opening Australian Grand Prix. Reliability problems also forced Vettel to retire at the Monaco and Austrian Grands Prix. Vettel qualified on the front-row for the races in Malaysia, Great Britain and Hungary, and finished on the podium in Malaysia, Canada, Singapore and Japan. After the Russian Grand Prix, he had been outqualified by a teammate over a season for the first time in his Formula One career. In addition to suffering reliability problems, throughout 2014 Vettel struggled to get to grips with the Red Bull RB10, and the Pirelli tyres. He signed off the year by becoming the first defending champion to fail to win a race during a season since Jacques Villeneuve in 1998.

In October, Red Bull had announced that Vettel would be leaving the team at the end of the season to join Scuderia Ferrari, one year before his contract was due to expire. Vettel replaced Alonso and partnered his friend Kimi Räikkönen. Vettel mentioned he would like to drive for Ferrari at some point in his career and was already rumoured in 2012 to have a non-binding pre-contract, with options, to join them in 2014. He was denied an early release from his Red Bull contract to test the 2014 Ferrari car in Abu Dhabi. In spite of this, Vettel was present at the Ferrari test – although not driving the car – but Red Bull did not enforce any sanctions. Vettel instead made his first appearance in November, completing nearly 100 laps in the 2012 car around the test track of Fiorano.

Ferrari (2015–2020)

[

'The next stage of my Formula 1 career will be spent with Scuderia Ferrari and for me that means the dream of a lifetime has come true. When I was a kid, Michael Schumacher in the red car was my greatest idol and now it's an incredible honour to finally get the chance to drive a Ferrari. I already got a small taste of what the Ferrari spirit means, when I took my first win at Monza in 2008, with an engine from the Prancing Horse built in Maranello. The Scuderia has a great tradition in this sport and I am extremely motivated to help the team get back to the top. I will put my heart and soul into making it happen.'

]

2015–2016: Returning to the top step, a threat to Mercedes

Vettel at the 2015 Malaysian Grand Prix, where he took his maiden win for Ferrari after two races

Vettel made his Ferrari debut by finishing third in the Australian Grand Prix. He followed that up with winning the Malaysian Grand Prix, his first race victory for over a year and the first win for Ferrari for almost two years. After the race, an emotional Vettel paid tribute to Schumacher, saying that his hero's achievements with Ferrari made the first win all the more special.

He won the Hungarian Grand Prix to remain a championship contender after he started from third on the grid. He dedicated his victory to the driver Jules Bianchi, who died the week prior from injuries sustained in 2014. At the halfway point of the season, Vettel was 42 points behind championship leader and Mercedes driver Hamilton. Vettel was in third place in Belgium when his right rear blew at high speed on the penultimate lap, likely ending any title chances given Hamilton's win. After the race, he ranted about the 'unacceptable' and 'unsafe' Pirelli tyres that could have caused him serious injury.

Vettel came home second in the Italian Grand Prix, his first race with Ferrari at the team's home soil. He then took his first pole with the team at the Singapore Grand Prix, Ferrari's first pole for three years. Vettel went on to win the race, and with Hamilton retiring, he closed to within 49 points with seven races remaining. Vettel ended the season in third place, however, with three wins and 13 podiums; he declared the season as a 'miracle'.

Vettel driving for Ferrari at the 2016 Monaco Grand Prix

After a third-place finish at the 2016 Australian Grand Prix, Vettel's participation in Bahrain ended without starting as his car broke down on the formation lap. At the Chinese Grand Prix, Vettel collided with teammate Räikkönen on the first lap, but both were able to continue. He blamed Red Bull driver Daniil Kvyat for the collision, labelling him a "madman" and described his overtaking manoeuvre as "suicidal". At the Russian Grand Prix, Vettel retired on the first lap after two consecutive collisions with Kvyat. At the Mexican Grand Prix, Vettel attempted to overtake Red Bull driver Max Verstappen, but after Verstappen ran off the track and rejoined ahead of him, Vettel verbally attacked him and race director Charlie Whiting, for which he later apologised. Vettel then blocked Red Bull's Ricciardo by moving in the braking zone, and was given a ten-second penalty and two points on his licence. Although he achieved seven podium finishes during the season, Vettel did not win any races in 2016.

2017–2018: Championship challenges ending in disappointment

Vettel during pre-season testing for Ferrari in 2017

His third season at Ferrari started with victory in Australia, his first in 18 months. The early form continued the following races, winning in Bahrain and Monaco, and finishing second in China, Russia and Spain. In Russia, Vettel took his first pole position in 18 months and with Räikkönen alongside him, Ferrari had their first front row lock out since the 2008 French Grand Prix. Vettel's lead at the top of the standings increased to 25 points after the Monaco Grand Prix, Ferrari's first victory at the circuit since Schumacher won there in 2001.

In Azerbaijan, Vettel collided into the rear of race leader Hamilton under the safety car, accusing Hamilton of brake testing him. Moments later, Vettel pulled alongside and hit his Mercedes as they prepared for a restart, for which he received a ten-second stop-go penalty. The FIA investigated the Vettel-Hamilton incident further, but Vettel received no punishment. Vettel took full responsibility, issuing a public apology and committing to devote personal time over the next 12 months to educational activities across a variety of FIA championships and events.

Vettel at the 2017 Japanese Grand Prix

Vettel's championship lead was cut to only a single point in Great Britain, as he suffered a puncture on the penultimate lap and dropped to seventh place. Vettel started from pole in Hungary, and maintained the lead. He overcame steering issues and held on for victory, which gave him a 14-point lead over Hamilton. Mercedes dominated after the summer break and Vettel lost the championship lead at the Italian Grand Prix, which was followed by a first-lap retirement in Singapore after collision with Räikkönen and Verstappen. It was the first time in Formula One history that both Ferraris retired from the first lap of a Grand Prix. His title hopes were dealt another blow in Malaysia, as he started last following a turbo problem in qualifying. He finished in fourth place, but crashed with Williams' Lance Stroll on the cool-down lap; neither would be penalised. More reliability issues befell Ferrari in Japan as Vettel retired due to a spark plug failure. In Mexico, Vettel became the fourth driver in Formula One history to claim 50 pole positions. Verstappen took the lead from Vettel at the start, before Vettel collided with Hamilton, after which Hamilton won his fourth title. For the first time in his career, Vettel failed to win the World Drivers' Championship having led it at some stage during a season.

Vettel driving past his fans at the 2018 Chinese Grand Prix

The 2018 season was dubbed the "Fight For Five" by the media, as for the first time in Formula One history, two quadruple world champions lined up at the start of a season. For the second consecutive year, Vettel began the season with victory in Australia, after he took the lead while pitting under the virtual safety car. It was his 100th podium, while he also became only the third man in Formula One history to have led 3,000 laps. In Bahrain, Vettel maintained the lead from pole through the first round of pit stops and held off Mercedes' Valtteri Bottas despite being on old soft tyres to take a record fourth victory at the circuit. At the Chinese Grand Prix, he was hit by Verstappen in the latter stages of the race, which caused both to spin. Vettel limped home in eighth place, with his championship lead reduced to nine points. For the first time since 2013, Vettel took three consecutive pole positions as he qualified in first place in Azerbaijan. It was the 23rd different Grand Prix at which he had taken pole position, equalling Hamilton's record.

At the Canadian Grand Prix, Vettel won for the third time in 2018 and for the 50th time in his career, becoming only the fourth man to reach a half-century of wins. The following race in France, Vettel lost the championship lead following a collision with Bottas. He bounced back in Great Britain, after he passed Bottas in the last laps to take victory. Vettel led his home race until he slid off the track and hit the wall in the latter stages as rain started to fall, as he had clipped the sausage curb a few laps before, breaking a part of his front wing, causing understeer and loss of downforce; he won in Belgium, however, in which he passed Hamilton for the race victory. Contact on the opening lap with Hamilton in Italy saw Vettel damage his front wing and drop to the back of the field, but he recovered to cross the finishing line in fourth place. It left Vettel 30 points behind the Mercedes driver with seven races left. His championship hopes were dealt a further blow as Ferrari's upgrades introduced at the Singapore Grand Prix proved to be unsuccessful, making a step backwards on car development; Ferrari suffered a dip of form until the United States Grand Prix, where they reverted to their old package and successfully rediscovered their form. Vettel claimed his first ever podium in Mexico but the World Drivers' Championship went to Hamilton for a second consecutive year. Although Mercedes had been the more consistent and better team, fans and pundits criticised Vettel for making too many mistakes during the season.

2019–2020: Difficult ending at Ferrari

Vettel in action at the 2019 Chinese Grand Prix

After showing impressive pace throughout pre-season testing in Barcelona, Vettel and his new teammate Charles Leclerc headed to Australia with many pundits believing they had the car to beat for the 2019 season. The opening weekend proved to be difficult, however, as Vettel qualified some seven tenths off pole position in third and finished the race in fourth place. Third-place finishes in China and Azerbaijan followed, as Mercedes continued to dominate. Vettel took pole position in Canada; his first pole in 17 races. Midway through the race, a snap of oversteer caused him to run wide onto the grass. Vettel received a five-second time penalty from the stewards, who believed he had returned to the track "in an unsafe manner and forced [Hamilton] off track". Vettel crossed the line in first place but lost his victory as a result of the penalty. After the race, he swapped the number one and two signs in front of Hamilton's Mercedes and the empty spot that was supposed for his own car, as Vettel parked his car at the start of the pit entry. At the German Grand Prix, Vettel was unable to qualify after a turbo issue, which meant he would start in last place. During a race with mixed weather conditions, Vettel climbed up to second place. In Italy, Vettel spun at the Ascari chicane and when he re-entered the track, he made contact with Racing Point's Stroll. Vettel received a 10-second stop-go penalty and finished in 13th place.At the Singapore Grand Prix, Vettel won on a circuit Ferrari were expected to struggle at. For the first time, Vettel had won five times at the same track. The following race, in Russia, Vettel went from third place on the grid to first place in the first corner. However, radio transmissions suggested that the team wanted to swap their drivers, but with Vettel the quicker driver, he remained in front. Vettel retired soon after with a MGU-K problem.

Vettel took pole position in Japan, but an abrupt start off the line caused him to momentarily stop before getting away, which allowed Bottas to take the lead; Vettel was not penalized for his jump start. After running in third at the Brazilian Grand Prix for the majority of the race, a safety car allowed Red Bull's Alexander Albon and an aggressive Leclerc to overtake him. He tried to pass his teammate immediately but the two Ferraris collided, resulting in another retirement for Vettel. He finished fifth in the World Drivers' Championship, and was outscored by a teammate for only the second time across a season.

Sebastian Vettel competing for Ferrari on their 1000th Grand Prix

Ferrari later announced they would not extend Vettel's contract beyond the 2020 season. Team principal Mattia Binotto explained there was "no specific reason" for the decision, though both parties noted it was an amicable agreement. The season was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic as the first ten races of the original calendar were either rescheduled, postponed or cancelled altogether. Ferrari discovered problems on their car following pre-season testing, forcing them to make a major redesign.

The SF1000 lacked pace as Vettel finished the season's opening race in Austria in 10th place. During the weekend, he was also given a warning for breaching the FIA's COVID-19 protocols after he was seen mixing with members of his former team Red Bull. The following race, at the Styrian Grand Prix, Vettel retired on the opening lap with rear wing damage following a collision with Leclerc. He ended the season in a disappointing 13th place in the Drivers' standings, with a third place in Turkey as his best result. Ferrari only finished sixth in the Constructors' standings, their worst result since 1980, while Vettel's total of 33 points was the lowest in a full campaign in his Formula One career.

Aston Martin (2021–2022)

Vettel at the 2021 British Grand Prix

Vettel joined Aston Martin for the 2021 season, replacing Sergio Pérez. In his debut race weekend in Bahrain, he received a grid penalty in qualifying, forcing him to start last. While Vettel started well, he had a collision with Esteban Ocon, giving him a time penalty and ended up finishing in 15th place. He received five penalty points on his superlicence. Aston Martin team principal Otmar Szafnauer reported no concerns, owing to this being a very different car from the Ferrari, lack of laps in pre-season testing and a very impressive race start. In the fifth race of the season, Vettel scored his first points for the team with a fifth-place finish in Monaco. At the following race, the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, he claimed Aston Martin's first podium with a second-place finish. Vettel also finished second in Hungary, but was later disqualified, after his car failed to provide the one litre sample of fuel required. He ended the season in 12th place in the Drivers' standings, ahead of teammate Stroll. During the season, Vettel made 132 overtakes—the most of any driver—and won the inaugural Overtake Award.

Vettel at the 2022 Austrian Grand Prix, during his final season of Formula One.

Vettel missed the first two races of the 2022 season in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia after testing positive for COVID-19; he was substituted by Aston Martin's reserve driver Nico Hülkenberg. In July 2022, Vettel announced his retirement from Formula One at the end of the 2022 season.

Race of Champions

Vettel competed in the 2007 Race of Champions at Wembley Stadium, representing the German team alongside Michael Schumacher. Vettel and Schumacher won the Nations' 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 Nations' Cup Title after a close final against Scandinavia. In the Driver's Cup, Vettel beat Troy Bayliss in Round One, but lost to Sébastien 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. In the 2010 edition, on home ground in Düsseldorf, Vettel again teamed up with Schumacher to win the Nations Cup for the fourth time in a row. In the Driver's Cup, Vettel was eliminated in the semi-finals by Filipe Albuquerque, who went on to win the event.

In 2011, Vettel and Schumacher completed their fifth consecutive Nations Cup win, beating the Nordic team of Tom Kristensen and Juho Hänninen 2–0 in the final. In the semi-finals, Vettel had to beat both Andy Priaulx and Jenson Button, after Schumacher lost to Button.

Vettel returned to the 2015 Race of Champions, representing Germany together with Nico Hülkenberg. He won his very first individual Race of Champions title that year, beating Tom Kristensen in the final. Vettel and Hülkenberg finished runner-up in the Nations Cup. In 2017, Vettel was eliminated in the first heat for the individual competition, but went on to win the Nations' Cup for Germany by himself with his seventh victory, after his teammate Pascal Wehrlein was injured earlier in a crash.

In the 2019 event, Vettel teamed up with Mick Schumacher, where they finished runners-up in the Nations' Cup to the Nordic team of Kristensen and Johan Kristoffersson. Vettel was eliminated in the group stages of the individual competition, although he won the ROC Skills Challenge. He reached the individual final in 2022 but was beaten by Sébastien Loeb.

Top Gear

Vettel held the fastest lap-time for a Formula One driver on BBC2's Top Gear programme in the "Star in a Reasonably-Priced Car" segment, with a lap of 1:44.0, beating previous holder Rubens Barrichello, and the second Stig, Ben Collins. His time has since been beaten by Lewis Hamilton (1:42.9) and Mark Webber (1:43.1).

Helmet design

2017 helmet design

From his karting days, Vettel worked with helmet designer Jens Munser. At the age of eight, Vettel wanted Sebastian the crab from The Little Mermaid on his helmet. Vettel's original helmet in Formula One, like most Red Bull-backed drivers, was heavily influenced by the energy drink company logo. New to Vettel's helmet at the start of 2008 was the incorporation of the red cross shape of the Kreis Bergstraße coat of arms on the front, just underneath the visor, in honour of the region of his birthplace, Heppenheim.

After switching to Red Bull in 2009, Vettel regularly used a variety of new helmet designs. Some designs were small changes to his original Red Bull design, while others were completely new designs, such as the one he used at the 2010 Japanese Grand Prix: Vettel had a special white-red helmet design, with black kanji and hiragana for "gives you wings". Several of his helmet designs also featured his team members. At the 2012 Italian Grand Prix, Vettel celebrated his 50th helmet design with a 'rusty' matte look and 50 tallies, indicating his 50 helmet designs in Formula One. Vettel started his 2013 campaign with a design in honour of Felix Baumgartner, for his world record Red Bull Stratos space jump in October 2012. By the end of the 2013 season, he had used 76 different helmet designs throughout his career.

Helmet manufacturer Arai have stated Vettel 'retires' a helmet design after each win, although he does not need to win to sport a new design.

After moving to the Ferrari team before the start of the 2015 season, Vettel insisted that he would try to stick to one design each year, which was also enforced by an FIA rule banning 'significant' helmet changes during a season. His new helmet design is white with the German national flag running from front to back from the middle to the viewer's left-hand side, and his permanent start number 5 on the top.

For the 2017 Italian Grand Prix he changed the German flag stripe on his helmet to an Italian flag stripe in celebration of Ferrari's home race. Following the death of Niki Lauda, Vettel wore a special helmet based on Lauda's final Ferrari helmet at the 2019 Monaco Grand Prix.

Car names

Inspired by American bomber pilots in the Second World War, Vettel has made it a tradition to name his cars. He said: "It's important to have a close relationship with a car. Like a ship, a car should be named after a girl as it's sexy". The car he drove for his first full season in 2008, the Toro Rosso STR3, was named Julie, followed by Kate and Kate's Dirty Sister (2009), Luscious Liz and Randy Mandy (2010), Kinky Kylie (2011), Abbey (2012) and Hungry Heidi (2013). Vettel's car for 2014, the Red Bull RB10, was baptised Suzie. Vettel continued this tradition with Ferrari and christened his 2015 Ferrari SF15-T Eva, followed by Margherita (2016) Gina (2017), Loria (2018), Lina (2019), and Lucilla (2020). In 2021, he named his Aston Martin AMR21 car after Honey Ryder, a character from the James Bond film, Dr. No.

Season	Car	Name(s)
2008	Toro Rosso STR3	Julie
2009	Red Bull RB5	Kate Kate's Dirty Sister
2010	Red Bull RB6	Luscious Liz Randy Mandy
2011	Red Bull RB7	Kinky Kylie
2012	Red Bull RB8	Abbey
2013	Red Bull RB9	Hungry Heidi
2014	Red Bull RB10	Suzie
2015	Ferrari SF15-T	Eva
2016	Ferrari SF16-H	Margherita
2017	Ferrari SF70H	Gina
2018	Ferrari SF71H	Loria
2019	Ferrari SF90	Lina
2020	Ferrari SF1000	Lucilla
2021	Aston Martin AMR21	Honey Ryder

Comparison to Michael Schumacher

Vettel's unexpected win at the 2008 Italian Grand Prix led the media to dub him the "Baby Schumi", "New Schumacher", but Vettel played down the comparison stating he wanted to be the "New Vettel". He was not just dubbed this for his nationality, but also because of his driving style, his concentration and the hands-on role he plays behind the scenes with his team of engineers. One difference is that Vettel, unlike Schumacher, names his cars: Julie (2008), Kate, Kate's Dirty Sister (2009), Luscious Liz, Randy Mandy (2010), Kinky Kylie (2011), and Abbey (2012).

Vettel and Michael Schumacher both competed in the 2011 Japanese Grand Prix, where Vettel won his second world championship title.

Nevertheless, the similarities are marked. Like Schumacher, Vettel grew up in a small town with an everyday background—Schumacher's father a bricklayer and Vettel's a carpenter. Both had their first taste of racing at the Kerpen karting track near Cologne, not far from the Nürburgring. Vettel began driving in his garden lapping the garden many times, not even stopping to eat or shower, before he could legally take to the roads, and said his passion for cars was nurtured by watching Schumacher compete. He did not know that he would actually get to race his hero.

Both Schumacher and Vettel impressed in their debut races, both of which took place in the middle of a Formula One season, and both drivers qualified seventh. Neither would ever drive for their debut teams again. Instead, both immediately joined with non-manufacturer teams founded upon sales of non-automobile-related products. Approximately a year after joining their new teams, as underdogs they would stun the Formula One world by winning races in cars few believed capable of winning. They would both add extra victories to their names in the following season before their cars' performance improved. In their third full Formula One season and both driving cars numbered 5, both won their first World Drivers' Championship, at which point both drivers had 10 Grand Prix wins on their records. Vettel became the youngest ever driver to win the World Drivers' Championship, while Schumacher, by a little over a week, only narrowly missed out on achieving the very same feat. Both drivers won their non-manufacturer teams' maiden World Drivers' Championship as well as World Constructors' Championship.

After winning his first championship in 2010, and being hailed as the 'Next Schumacher', Vettel has stated he did not want to aim for Schumacher's record after learning how hard it was to get one championship under his belt, though he would like to win more. It was in their next season that the two drivers began to dominate the sport, both clinching their second successive title before the season was finished (unlike the previous year) in only their fourth full season. Both drivers became the youngest ever double World Champion at the time, by doing this. In 2011, Pirelli director Paul Hembery was impressed when Vettel was the only driver to take the time to visit the factory and talk to the tyre manufacturer to gain a better insight. "The only other driver that asks us a lot of questions is Michael Schumacher. It is like seeing the master and the protégé at work."

After Schumacher was severely injured in a skiing accident in late 2013, Vettel was on hand to collect the Millennium-Bambi Award for Schumacher's life achievements on his behalf in 2014. In 2014, Vettel cited Schumacher as one of his inspirations in becoming a Scuderia Ferrari driver: "When I was a kid, Michael Schumacher in the red car was my greatest idol and now it's an incredible honour to finally get the chance to drive a Ferrari."

Activism

Vettel has demonstrated an interest in the environment and other social justice issues. Following the 2021 British Grand Prix, he helped remove litter from the stands, and he also worked with children in Austria to build a Insect hotel. Furthermore, Vettel has been critical of how F1 races are scheduled, stating that races that are geographically proximate to each other should be held on consecutive weekends to reduce emissions from travelling. He also held an all-women karting event during the weekend of the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, and wore the pride flag at the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix despite being reprimanded. Following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Vettel expressed an intent to boycott the September's Russian Grand Prix had the race gone ahead as planned.

In May 2022, he appeared on the BBC One political topical debate programme Question Time to discuss a variety of issues including climate change, energy dependency, and Brexit. The following month, Vettel appeared on the cover of Attitude, voicing support for an LGBTQ driver competing in Formula One. In June 2022, while participating in the Canadian Grand Prix, Vettel denounced Canada's mining of the Alberta oil sands by wearing a T-shirt and helmet patch calling it "Canada's climate crime". Alberta Premier Jason Kenney called it "over-the-top hypocrisy" because Vettel's team, Aston Martin, is sponsored by petroleum company Saudi Aramco, which he said has "one of the worst climate-emissions records in the world". Vettel agreed with the "hypocritical" label but said those personal attacks risk missing what he called the "bigger picture" of the climate crisis.

Infiniti FX Sebastian Vettel version

In early 2011, Red Bull Racing's sponsor and partner Infiniti entered into discussions with Vettel regarding the possibility of a Formula One-inspired Infiniti FX. Vettel, who already owned his own FX50, expressed his interest in the performance capabilities of the FX platform, and as a result of six months of intense research and development, the 2012 Infiniti FX Sebastian Vettel Version Concept was officially unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show on 13 September 2011. On 10 October 2011, Infiniti confirmed that the FX Sebastian Vettel version would go into production.

Honours

In February 2012 Vettel was honoured with the highest sports award in Germany, the Silberne Lorbeerblatt – Silver Bay Laurel Leaf – in recognition of his multiple world titles and his exemplary character.

Racing record

Career summary

Season	Series	Team	Races	Wins	Poles	F/Laps	Podiums	Points	Position
2003	Formula BMW ADAC	Eifelland Racing	19	5	5	4	12	216	2nd
2004	Formula BMW ADAC	ADAC Berlin-Brandenburg	20	18	14	13	20	387	1st
2005	Formula 3 Euro Series	ASL Mücke Motorsport	20	0	0	1	5	57	5th
	Masters of Formula 3		1	0	0	0	0	N/A	11th
	Spanish Formula Three Championship	Racing Engineering	1	0	0	0	1	8	15th
	Macau Grand Prix	ASM F3	1	0	0	0	1	N/A	3rd
	Formula One	Williams F1 Team	Test driver
2006	Formula 3 Euro Series	ASM Formule 3	20	4	1	5	9	75	2nd
	Macau Grand Prix		1	0	0	0	0	N/A	23rd
	Formula Renault 3.5 Series	Carlin Motorsport	3	1	1	0	2	28	15th
	Masters of Formula 3	ASL Mücke Motorsport	1	0	0	0	0	N/A	6th
	Formula One	BMW Sauber F1 Team	Test driver
2007	Formula Renault 3.5 Series	Carlin Motorsport	7	1	1	1	4	74	5th
	Formula One	BMW Sauber F1 Team	1	0	0	0	0	6	14th
		Scuderia Toro Rosso	7	0	0	0	0
2008	Formula One	Scuderia Toro Rosso	18	1	1	0	1	35	8th
2009	Formula One	Red Bull Racing	17	4	4	3	8	84	2nd
2010	Formula One	Red Bull Racing	19	5	10	3	10	256	1st
2011	Formula One	Red Bull Racing	19	11	15	3	17	392	1st
2012	Formula One	Red Bull Racing	20	5	6	6	10	281	1st
2013	Formula One	Infiniti Red Bull Racing	19	13	9	7	16	397	1st
2014	Formula One	Infiniti Red Bull Racing	19	0	0	2	4	167	5th
2015	Formula One	Scuderia Ferrari	19	3	1	1	13	278	3rd
2016	Formula One	Scuderia Ferrari	21	0	0	3	7	212	4th
2017	Formula One	Scuderia Ferrari	20	5	4	5	13	317	2nd
2018	Formula One	Scuderia Ferrari	21	5	5	3	12	320	2nd
2019	Formula One	Scuderia Ferrari Mission Winnow	21	1	2	2	9	240	5th
2020	Formula One	Scuderia Ferrari Mission Winnow	17	0	0	0	1	33	13th
2021	Formula One	Aston Martin Cognizant F1 Team	22	0	0	0	1	43	12th
2022	Formula One	Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant F1 Team	20	0	0	0	0	37	12th
Source:

* Season still in progress.

Complete Formula 3 Euro Series results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position, races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year	Entrant	Chassis	Engine	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	DC	Points
2005	ASL Mücke Motorsport	Dallara F305/011	Mercedes	HOC1 1 15	HOC1 2 5	PAU 1 7	PAU 2 11	SPA 1 DSQ	SPA 2 13	MON 1 18	MON 2 17	OSC 1 5	OSC 2 5	NOR 1 2	NOR 2 4	NÜR 1 11	NÜR 2 2	ZAN 1 2	ZAN 2 2	LAU 1 3	LAU 2 15	HOC2 1 13	HOC2 2 3	5th	57
2006	ASM Formule 3	Dallara F305/059	Mercedes	HOC1 1 5	HOC1 2 1	LAU 1 3	LAU 2 6	OSC 1 5	OSC 2 14	BRH 1 2	BRH 2 7	NOR 1 2	NOR 2 Ret	NÜR 1 1	NÜR 2 1	ZAN 1 24	ZAN 2 2	CAT 1 1	CAT 2 Ret	LMS 1 9	LMS 2 9	HOC2 1 3	HOC2 2 12	2nd	75

Complete Formula Renault 3.5 Series results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position, races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year	Entrant	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	DC	Points
2006	Carlin Motorsport	ZOL 1	ZOL 2	MON 1	IST 1	IST 2	MIS 1 1	MIS 2 2	SPA 1 Ret	SPA 2 DNS	NÜR 1	NÜR 2	DON 1	DON 2	LMS 1	LMS 2	CAT 1	CAT 2	15th	28
2007	Carlin Motorsport	MNZ 1 5	MNZ 2 3	NÜR 1 1	NÜR 2 6	MON 1 2	HUN 1 4	HUN 2 3	SPA 1	SPA 2	DON 1	DON 2	MAG 1	MAG 2	EST 1	EST 2	CAT 1	CAT 2	5th	74

Complete Formula One results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year	Entrant	Chassis	Engine	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	WDC	Points
2006	BMW Sauber F1 Team	BMW Sauber F1.06	BMW P86 2.4 V8	BHR	MAL	AUS	SMR	EUR	ESP	MON	GBR	CAN	USA	FRA	GER	HUN	TUR TD	ITA TD	CHN TD	JPN TD	BRA TD			–	–
2007	BMW Sauber F1 Team	BMW Sauber F1.07	BMW P86/7 2.4 V8	AUS TD	MAL TD	BHR	ESP	MON	CAN	USA 8	FRA	GBR	EUR											14th	6
	Scuderia Toro Rosso	Toro Rosso STR2	Ferrari 056 2.4 V8											HUN 16	TUR 19	ITA 18	BEL Ret	JPN Ret	CHN 4	BRA Ret
2008	Scuderia Toro Rosso	Toro Rosso STR2B	Ferrari 056 2.4 V8	AUS Ret	MAL Ret	BHR Ret	ESP Ret	TUR 17																8th	35
		Toro Rosso STR3	Ferrari 056 2.4 V8						MON 5	CAN 8	FRA 12	GBR Ret	GER 8	HUN Ret	EUR 6	BEL 5	ITA 1	SIN 5	JPN 6	CHN 9	BRA 4
2009	Red Bull Racing	Red Bull RB5	Renault RS27 2.4 V8	AUS 13†	MAL 15†	CHN 1	BHR 2	ESP 4	MON Ret	TUR 3	GBR 1	GER 2	HUN Ret	EUR Ret	BEL 3	ITA 8	SIN 4	JPN 1	BRA 4	ABU 1				2nd	84
2010	Red Bull Racing	Red Bull RB6	Renault RS27 2.4 V8	BHR 4	AUS Ret	MAL 1	CHN 6	ESP 3	MON 2	TUR Ret	CAN 4	EUR 1	GBR 7	GER 3	HUN 3	BEL 15	ITA 4	SIN 2	JPN 1	KOR Ret	BRA 1	ABU 1		1st	256
2011	Red Bull Racing	Red Bull RB7	Renault RS27 2.4 V8	AUS 1	MAL 1	CHN 2	TUR 1	ESP 1	MON 1	CAN 2	EUR 1	GBR 2	GER 4	HUN 2	BEL 1	ITA 1	SIN 1	JPN 3	KOR 1	IND 1	ABU Ret	BRA 2		1st	392
2012	Red Bull Racing	Red Bull RB8	Renault RS27-2012 2.4 V8	AUS 2	MAL 11	CHN 5	BHR 1	ESP 6	MON 4	CAN 4	EUR Ret	GBR 3	GER 5	HUN 4	BEL 2	ITA 22†	SIN 1	JPN 1	KOR 1	IND 1	ABU 3	USA 2	BRA 6			1st	281
2013	Infiniti Red Bull Racing	Red Bull RB9	Renault RS27-2013 2.4 V8	AUS 3	MAL 1	CHN 4	BHR 1	ESP 4	MON 2	CAN 1	GBR Ret	GER 1	HUN 3	BEL 1	ITA 1	SIN 1	KOR 1	JPN 1	IND 1	ABU 1	USA 1	BRA 1				1st	397
2014	Infiniti Red Bull Racing	Red Bull RB10	Renault Energy F1 2014 1.6 V6 t	AUS Ret	MAL 3	BHR 6	CHN 5	ESP 4	MON Ret	CAN 3	AUT Ret	GBR 5	GER 4	HUN 7	BEL 5	ITA 6	SIN 2	JPN 3	RUS 8	USA 7	BRA 5	ABU 8				5th	167
2015	Scuderia Ferrari	Ferrari SF15-T	Ferrari 060 1.6 V6 t	AUS 3	MAL 1	CHN 3	BHR 5	ESP 3	MON 2	CAN 5	AUT 4	GBR 3	HUN 1	BEL 12†	ITA 2	SIN 1	JPN 3	RUS 2	USA 3	MEX Ret	BRA 3	ABU 4				3rd	278
2016	Scuderia Ferrari	Ferrari SF16-H	Ferrari 061 1.6 V6 t	AUS 3	BHR DNS	CHN 2	RUS Ret	ESP 3	MON 4	CAN 2	EUR 2	AUT Ret	GBR 9	HUN 4	GER 5	BEL 6	ITA 3	SIN 5	MAL Ret	JPN 4	USA 4	MEX 5	BRA 5	ABU 3		4th	212
2017	Scuderia Ferrari	Ferrari SF70H	Ferrari 062 1.6 V6 t	AUS 1	CHN 2	BHR 1	RUS 2	ESP 2	MON 1	CAN 4	AZE 4	AUT 2	GBR 7	HUN 1	BEL 2	ITA 3	SIN Ret	MAL 4	JPN Ret	USA 2	MEX 4	BRA 1	ABU 3			2nd	317
2018	Scuderia Ferrari	Ferrari SF71H	Ferrari 062 EVO 1.6 V6 t	AUS 1	BHR 1	CHN 8	AZE 4	ESP 4	MON 2	CAN 1	FRA 5	AUT 3	GBR 1	GER Ret	HUN 2	BEL 1	ITA 4	SIN 3	RUS 3	JPN 6	USA 4	MEX 2	BRA 6	ABU 2		2nd	320
2019	Scuderia Ferrari Mission Winnow	Ferrari SF90	Ferrari 064 1.6 V6 t	AUS 4	BHR 5	CHN 3	AZE 3	ESP 4	MON 2	CAN 2	FRA 5	AUT 4	GBR 16	GER 2	HUN 3	BEL 4	ITA 13	SIN 1	RUS Ret	JPN 2	MEX 2	USA Ret	BRA 17†	ABU 5		5th	240
2020	Scuderia Ferrari Mission Winnow	Ferrari SF1000	Ferrari 065 1.6 V6 t	AUT 10	STY Ret	HUN 6	GBR 10	70A 12	ESP 7	BEL 13	ITA Ret	TUS 10	RUS 13	EIF 11	POR 10	EMI 12	TUR 3	BHR 13	SKH 12	ABU 14						title="" style="background: /* */##FFF; color: /* */##000; text-align: auto;"| 13th	33
2021	Aston Martin Cognizant F1 Team	Aston Martin AMR21	Mercedes-AMG F1 M12 1.6 V6 t	BHR 15	EMI 15	POR 13	ESP 13	MON 5	AZE 2	FRA 9	STY 12	AUT 17	GBR Ret	HUN DSQ	BEL 5	NED 13	ITA 12	RUS 12	TUR 18	USA 10	MXC 7	SAP 11	QAT 10	SAU Ret	ABU 11	12th	43
2022	Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant F1 Team	Aston Martin AMR22	Mercedes F1 M13 E Performance 1.6 V6 t	BHR	SAU	AUS Ret	EMI 8	MIA 17	ESP 11	MON 10	AZE 6	CAN 12	GBR 9	AUT 17	FRA 11	HUN 10	BEL 8	NED 14	ITA Ret	SIN 8	JPN 6	USA 8	MXC 14	SAP 11	ABU 10	12th	37
Source:

^† Did not finish, but was classified as he had completed more than 90% of the race distance.
^† Half points awarded as less than 75% of race distance was completed.
* Season still in progress.

Formula One records

Vettel holds the following Formula One records:

Record		Achieved
Most championship points earned in a season	392	2011
Most starts from front row in a season	18	2011
Most pole positions in a season	15	2011
Most laps led in a season	739	2011
Most wins from pole position in a season	9	2011
Youngest driver to drive at a Grand Prix meeting	19 years, 53 days	2006 Turkish Grand Prix (25 August 2006)
Youngest driver to set fastest time in an official Grand Prix session
Youngest driver to score points in Formula One	19 years, 349 days	2007 United States Grand Prix (17 June 2007)
Youngest race leader in Formula One, for at least one lap	20 years, 89 days	2007 Japanese Grand Prix (30 September 2007)
Youngest Grand Prix pole position winner	21 years, 72 days	2008 Italian Grand Prix (13 September 2008)
Youngest driver to score a podium position in Formula One	21 years, 73 days	2008 Italian Grand Prix (14 September 2008)
Youngest Grand Prix winner
Youngest driver to score a double (pole position and race win)
Youngest driver to score a triple (pole position, race win, and fastest lap)	21 years, 353 days	2009 British Grand Prix (21 June 2009)
Youngest driver to score a grand slam (pole position, win, fastest lap, and led every lap)	24 years, 119 days	2011 Indian Grand Prix (30 October 2011)
Youngest Formula One World Drivers' Champion	23 years, 135 days	2010 season (14 November 2010)
Youngest World Drivers' Championship runner-up	22 years, 121 days	2009 season (1 November 2009)
Shortest time elapsed before gaining a penalty	6 seconds	2006 Turkish Grand Prix (25 August 2006) (6 seconds into his career, for speeding in the pit lane)

Footnotes

External links

• Sebastian Vettel official site (German)

• Sebastian Vettel at IMDb
• Profile – from Formula 1 official website
• Profile – from BBC F1
• Profile – from ESPN
• Vettel's career details

{{Navboxes |title=Sebastian Vettel sporting positions | list1 =

Preceded by: Maximilian Götz

Formula BMW ADAC Drivers' Champion 2004

Succeeded by: Nico Hülkenberg

Preceded by: Heikki Kovalainen Marcus Grönholm

Race of Champions Nations' Cup 2007–2011

Succeeded by: Incumbent

Preceded by: Jenson Button	Formula One World Champion 2010–2011	Succeeded by: Incumbent
Awards and achievements Preceded by: Lewis Hamilton Autosport Rookie of the Year 2008 Succeeded by: Kris Meeke Preceded by: Robert Kubica Lorenzo Bandini Trophy 2009 Succeeded by: Lewis Hamilton Preceded by: Kimi Räikkönen DHL Fastest Lap Award 2009 Succeeded by: Fernando Alonso Preceded by: Jenson Button Autosport International Driver of the Year 2010–2011 Succeeded by: Incumbent Preceded by: Paul Biedermann German Sportsman of the Year 2010 Succeeded by: Dirk Nowitzki Records Preceded by: Jenson Button 20 years, 67 days (2000 Brazilian GP) Youngest Driver to score Points in Formula One 19 years, 349 days (2007 United States Grand Prix) Succeeded by: Incumbent Preceded by: Fernando Alonso 21 years, 237 days (2003 Malaysian GP) Youngest Race Leader, For at least one lap in Formula One 20 years, 89 days (2007 Japanese Grand Prix) Succeeded by: Incumbent Preceded by: Fernando Alonso 21 years, 236 days (2003 Malaysian GP) Youngest Grand Prix Polesitter 21 years, 72 days (2008 Italian Grand Prix) Succeeded by: Incumbent Preceded by: Fernando Alonso 21 years, 237 days (2003 Malaysian GP) Youngest Driver to score a Podium Position in Formula One 21 years, 73 days (2008 Italian Grand Prix) Succeeded by: Incumbent Preceded by: Fernando Alonso 22 years, 26 days (2003 Hungarian GP) Youngest Grand Prix Winner 21 years, 73 days (2008 Italian Grand Prix) Succeeded by: Incumbent Preceded by: Lewis Hamilton 22 years, 287 days (2007 season) Youngest Formula One World Drivers' Championship runner-up 22 years, 121 days (2009 season) Succeeded by: Incumbent Preceded by: Lewis Hamilton 23 years, 300 days (2008 season) Youngest Formula One World Drivers' Champion 23 years, 133 days (2010 season) Succeeded by: Incumbent Template:Aston Martin F1 Scuderia Ferrari Founder Enzo Ferrari Current F1 drivers 16. Charles Leclerc · 55. Carlos Sainz Jr. Test and reserve drivers 99. Antonio Giovinazzi (reserve) · 25px ISR Robert Shwartzman (test) Ferrari Driver Academy Arthur Leclerc · Dino Beganovic · James Wharton · Maya Weug · Oliver Bearman · Rafael Câmara · Laura Camps Torras · David Tonizza · Brendon Leigh · Giovanni de Salvo F1 world champions Alberto Ascari · Juan Manuel Fangio · Mike Hawthorn · Phil Hill · John Surtees · Niki Lauda · Jody Scheckter · Michael Schumacher · Kimi Räikkönen F1 race winners José Froilán González · Alberto Ascari · Piero Taruffi · Mike Hawthorn · Giuseppe Farina · Maurice Trintignant · Juan Manuel Fangio · Luigi Musso · Peter Collins · Tony Brooks · Phil Hill · Wolfgang von Trips · Giancarlo Baghetti · John Surtees · Lorenzo Bandini · Ludovico Scarfiotti · Jacky Ickx · Clay Regazzoni · Mario Andretti · Niki Lauda · Carlos Reutemann · Gilles Villeneuve · Jody Scheckter · Didier Pironi · Patrick Tambay · René Arnoux · Michele Alboreto · Gerhard Berger · Nigel Mansell · Alain Prost · Jean Alesi · Michael Schumacher · Eddie Irvine · Rubens Barrichello · Felipe Massa · Kimi Räikkönen ·Fernando Alonso · Sebastian Vettel · Charles Leclerc · Carlos Sainz Jr. Current personnel John Elkann (president) · Benedetto Vigna (chief executive officer) · Piero Ferrari (vice chairman) · Frédéric Vasseur (team principal) · Riccardo Adami · Loïc Bigois · Enrico Cardile · Jock Clear · Diego Ioverno · Xavier Marcos Padros · Laurent Mekies · Fabio Montecchi · Iñaki Rueda · David Sanchez · Matteo Togninalli Former personnel Enzo Ferrari (founder) · Ben Agathangelou · James Allison · Mario Almondo · Maurizio Arrivabene · Daniele Audetto · Luca Badoer · Luca Baldisserri · John Barnard · Dario Benuzzi · Mattia Binotto · Ross Brawn · Gustav Brunner · Marcin Budkowski · Ruth Buscombe · Rory Byrne · Louis C. 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