Sebastian Vettel has become the youngest ever four-time Formula 1 world champion, at just 26 years and 123 days old. He now joins Juan Manuel Fangio (five championship titles), Alain Prost (four) and Michael Schumacher (seven) as the all-time F1 greats. Ayrton Senna had three championships under his belt.
Schumacher was 32 years old when he won his fourth title in 2011; Prost 38 in his comeback year in 1993, and Fangio only became a four-time champ after turning 45. In fact, when they were at Vettel’s age now, Fangio had yet to start his first Grand Prix, Prost was still chasing his first race win, and Schumacher was only celebrating his first title.
This latest feat adds to Vettel’s growing collection of F1 records. As it is, he’s already the youngest driver to have taken part in an official practice session of a Grand Prix, to score championship points, to lead a race, to get on the podium, to secure pole position, to win a race, and of course, to win the championship once, twice, three times and now, four.
The young German clinched the 2013 drivers’ title (and the constructors’ crown for Red Bull) with yet another dominant win at the Indian GP last weekend, the 36th in his short career so far. Just five more and he will have as many race wins as Senna, and though he’s still 55 GP victories off Schumacher’s record, time is on Vettel’s side.
Hats off, then, to Sebastian Vettel for all his achievements so far. He has his detractors, sure, but one simply does not claim this much success in such a short period without being somewhat special. Credit is due where it’s due, and both he and Adrian Newey certainly deserve it.
He has achieved all this, and he’s only 26. Who knows how many more wins, championships and records he will have amassed by the time he hangs up his racing helmet? Whichever way it swings, it will be history in the making. Sebastian Vettel: a living legend in his own time.
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He is a legend !! Think he might beat Schumacher’s number of title.. Keep it up , strong team, strong machine and fast and energetic young driver !
2014 will be the end of vettel & RedBull domination….the end of F1 boringness with the beginning of turbo era…yeahhh!!!
If you say F1 nowadays is boring, then you have not watch any F1 race at all.
well….another redbull’s diehard….
if i dont watch f1,of course i dont know about this year SECRET innovation such clever ride-height by mercedes and lotus…tea-tray innovation,secret hybrid traction contROL led by RedBull create 32seconds gap of vettel at gpSingapore 2013……
It’s hard for someones dont watch f1 know abt that…..
what makes F1 because RedBull and vettel….
cant wait to see mercedes turbo v6 engine with 100hp advantages from rivals such renault….we can see renault and redbull at 2014 just midfielder LOL..
Renault 2014- DUSTED!!
All these white man are stupid. Don’t know how to race. Our local race car drivers like Alex Yong and Karamjit Singh are far better. Alex Yong and Karamjit all have Toyota Camry in their house too. They know, Toyota is race quality.
I have absolutely no idea what are you trying to talk about.
Lol!
Bro, I heard that they jump ship now. Suprima SSSss is the shit now. They dominate in those new monster machine. Supriimmaaa SSSsss
Current F1 is too car dependent…my guess, the best current crops of driver starts wt Alonso….after that only the rest…raikonen is another exceptional driver but with mediocre equipment.
nope, he IS fast that vettel guy..
I guess, the best to experience F1 for us common folk is to grab any racing simulator and drive. You’ll know how hard it is to keep focus for 1 and a half hours of straight pedal to the metal driving. Now, if that was real, take into consideration the G-force, heat and all the other factors. It is not easy as it looks. Raikkonen on the other hand, is overrated. Just look at his pre-F1 results, and even his F1 results itself, a far cry compared to Vettel’s. Remember Vettel’s Torro Rosso days?
To win 4 in a row, is really something. I’ve always hold on to this principal, awesome driver + great car = championships.
Besides, when was the last time somebody won a championship in a inferior package?
So what’s the fuss about for such a boring F1 season?
F1 has become more and more boring, only 2 or 3 teams that are really competing…or may be 1
Definitely a bit part of it due to best car among the F1 machines. Even in the same team he has a superior car as compare to MW.
No hat off to you Vettel.
Ricciardo will be the next victim..be prepared boy..
Yeah right! It’s all about the car..maybe 30% his driving skill. Wanna prove this? Switch to other team and we can know how fast he is, same like what Rossi did. Then only you can say that he is a living legend.
he did that, i remember he got his first number 1 trophy in f1 while he was driving with Toro Rosso in a rainy road condidtion.
F1 is the pinnacle of motorsports but I prefer WRC. Now that’s driving.
Sebastian will continue to dominate…
This apply both Loeb and Vettel….
You are outdated. Not Loeb anymore, is Ogier !
Vettel has proven once again that he is a real champion. Overtaking, over braking and cornering are all his skills. Surprisingly, some people chose to jeer him. Those who are paid so well but yet cannot deliver should be jeered instead. Hats off to the Indian spectators who showed him the due respect. It is also divine that the 2nd and 3rd placings go to Rosberg and Grosjean, both of whom are young and have no grudge against Vettel. If they happen to be Alonso, Webber, Hamilton or Rakkonen, the celebration mood would be different and they would not carry him on their shoulders.
you want to compare driver? simple..just look between their team mates..look how he demolish his team mate Webber..
p/s: Raikkonen all the way for me :)
<<< my avatar *internet brofist*. Kimi, awesome as always, the James Hunt of current era.
whatever it is..it’s RENAULT….eve Lotus team also based on RENAULT…..lancau la org kaya2 pkai ferrari berlagak g layan F1 kat Sepang n Spore..last2 kalah…muhahaha..all the way RENAULT
Ferrari is only for lame guy to show, real man drives Renault.
Vettel is a gifted driver. Congratulations to him.
Nevertherless, I still think Ayrton Senna could easily be at the top higher than Schumacher if not because of that fatal crash. Like Jeremy Clarkson said in Top Gear, Senna actually drove a monster, with 1000bhp and still manually changing the gear with only one hand on the stering wheel.
I believe, given the same equipment as those guys back then, the current drivers would perform as well. They are racing drivers after all.
But I wish the bring back those 1000+hp eras back coupled with today’s aerodynamics,man, that would be epic.