sport news Sebastian Vettel may have won four world titles, but JONATHAN McEVOY writes why ... trends now
Sebastian Vettel’s deeds stand for themselves. He has won as many championships as Alain Prost – four. Only Juan Manuel Fangio (five) and the seven-time wonders of this world have claimed more than the great Argentine: Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher.
This places Vettel in the very highest rank of drivers ever known.
On a personal level, I like Seb. I first knew him when he was arriving on the Formula One scene. A colleague and I were having dinner at BMW Sauber’s motorhome and he came scampering over. A devotee of English humour, not least of Only Fools and Horses he was most amused by a new word he had heard: ‘kerfuffle’.
It had come over his radio from the pit wall, and he was fascinated by it.
Further, and far more importantly, he spoke brilliantly, movingly and eruditely many years later at a tribute at Silverstone to the memory of respected race director Charlie Whiting, who had died suddenly at the Australian Grand Prix, in 2019. Seb was a director of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association at this point, and none of his contemporaries could have delivered a eulogy in a second language as eloquently about Charlie as Seb did that evening.
Four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel enjoyed a distinguished career during his 15 years in Formula One
Not only is the German one of the greatest drivers of all time, but he is one of the sport's most cherished personalities
He was as smart as he was genuine, too. No driver of the modern era was as friendly with Bernie Ecclestone, then the biggest figure in the whole sport. They played backgammon together. Bernie usually won. Their relationship was obviously warm, and I believe it remains so.
So having told you how much I like Seb, I don’t for a moment believe he should join Mercedes as Hamilton’s replacement next season. A further caveat, his talent as a wonderfully fast driver, especially when a front-runner, is not in doubt. But he drifted
