Sebastian Vettel is more than a Formula 1 racing driver. He is a tactician (because he discusses the right strategy with the command center even beyond 300 km / h); a mechanic (because he himself lies under the racing car with a flashlight and illuminates the underbody); a marshal (because he repeatedly lent a hand after accidents to clear the track of debris); a garbage man (because he and his team collected plastic bottles and packaging waste in the grandstands after the race at Silverstone); an activist (because he brought the rainbow on his helmet, his sneakers and a colorful t-shirt with the inscription “Same Love” as a symbol of diversity and tolerance to the race in Hungary, a symbol against the autocratic and homophobic regime of Viktor Orbán to set). In addition to all of this, there are picture collages on various Instagram channels with which Formula 1 fans pay their respects to the German. One writes underneath: “How can you not like this guy?”
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Sebastian Vettel, 34 years old, is now so much more than Sebastian Vettel, the four-time world champion, whose ascent at Red Bull at the beginning of this decade was accompanied by respect and recognition – but not necessarily by sympathy. Vettel is no longer the great adversary of Lewis Hamilton, no longer Ferrari’s great hope in the fight against Mercedes. Vettel is now something like the conscience of this racing series, its corrective – also because he is different from most of the others.
He avoids social media and keeps his family and private life out of the public eye as much as possible. It also stands for old values: for honesty, for trust and loyalty. Britta Röske, for example, has been at his side since 2009, channeling interview requests, alleviating the excitement around him and navigating him through a Grand Prix weekend.
And Vettel stands for friendship – for example with Michael Schumacher. Although – or precisely because – his friend can no longer appear on the racetracks of the world after his skiing accident, Vettel keeps reminding me of what Schumacher gave Formula 1 and him personally. And just as Schumacher once gave him valuable tips, he is now helping his son Mick with his own experiences.
“A huge gain for our team”
Critics already considered Vettel to be a relic from the past: too many accidents, too many mistakes, too little success, too little self-confidence. And that’s why they kept asking about his motivation to continue. When only a few believed in Vettel, Aston Martin made him advances and finally signed him. On Thursday, the driver and team extended the partnership for another season. “Sebastian is a huge asset for our team,” says team boss Otmar Szafnauer.
After fourteen races this season, Vettel is twelfth in the overall championship standings, ahead of his team-mate Lance Stroll. The Aston Martin is fast enough to set more than just individual highlights that benefit from racing luck – such as second place in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. It’s not a top car, but Vettel has proven this season that he is still a top driver, even if he has to fight with a blunt weapon. Now he and the team are already thinking about the future, about 2022. The new regulations and the new opportunities that come with them. “The changes are so big that they mean a fresh start for every team. This is a great opportunity for us, “says Vettel. A great opportunity – that’s what he calls what is in store for him in his 16th season. It speaks for his unbroken ambition.
Vettel will not end his Formula 1 career as a record world champion, although quite a few saw exactly that in him when he broke into the racing series like an elemental force in the Red Bull cockpit. But maybe he has achieved even more: Vettel has remained true to himself, despite all the temptations that came with his success, all the criticism that he had to face in recent years. Not everyone liked this species, but Vettel did not allow himself to be dissuaded from his path. He goes it on.
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