Vettel, 22 years old and already big

Button: 6 victories; Vettel: 2 victories. This is the mid-term assessment of this 2009 season of Formula 1. And, even if the Briton is the undisputed leader of the championship at the moment, the praise and the looks are often for Sebastian Vettel. It must be said that, since his beginnings, the German has surprised people. Even for people convinced by his talent, he continues to surprise.

In 2004, he revealed himself to insiders by outrageously dominating the German Formula BMW, after an already rich 2003 season. In 20 races, the driver achieved pole position 14 times, and gleans 18 victories. Crowned with the title of Formula BMW champion, Vettel logically joins the Formula 3 Euro Series the following year. In 2005, he ranked fifth and best rookie and, in 2006, he climbed to second place, with four victories in his pocket. If he does not have the title, Sebastian Vettel migrates to the World Series by Renault. At the same time, he retained his role as test driver at BMW Sauber F1, a role which earned him his first call to Formula 1 in 2007. The same year, Toro Rosso calls on the young prodigy to replace Scott Speed, leaving after ten races.

In eight races, the German has proven himself and shown that he has the stuff of the best. After half a season, behind the wheel of a modest car, he managed to score six points, glean a fourth place in China, and do better than some experienced drivers in a full season (R. Schumacher, J. Button). He logically wins his wheel for 2008, a season during which Vettel explodes in the eyes of the general public. Regularly in good shape, the German offered Toro Rosso its first victory, at Monza.

From then on, the doors of the paddock opened to him. Red Bull, the big sister?? of Toro Rosso, separates from the aging Coulthard and enlists the fiery Vettel, the bearer of hope for the energy drink brand. His arrival in the team coincides with the release of the extremely well-worked single-seater. From the first laps of the 2009 season, the Red Bulls, especially Vettel, were in the game. After eight races, “Baby Schumi” has already won two races, giving Red Bull his first victory in the process. The driver appears above all, today, as the most credible rival, against Jenson Button, in the race for the world crown.

In addition to his driving talent, Sebastian Vettel is a man expected. Arrived in 2007, just after the retirement of Michael Schumacher, he could have suffocated under the pressure. But the Red Bull driver has his head on his shoulders and knows how to assume the status assigned to him. If he is still far from dreaming of his elder's achievements, he is already well ahead of his passing times. Vettel, before turning 22, had three successes in F1 where Schumacher won his first race at 23.

The native of Heppenheim, despite his enthusiasm on the track, also has the advantage of being a friendly driver off the track. He will be able to test his popularity from the next round of the Formula 1 championship, during the German Grand Prix. This race will also be an opportunity for the Red Bull driver to readjust his ambitions. If he wins, then he could seriously think about coming back to Jenson Button. And, why not, mark a new page in the history of Formula 1.