A look at Sebastian Vettel’s three consecutive F1 championships – Formula 1 Special
Red Bull Racing’s Sebastian Vettel is the young German driver who is compared to his compatriot Michael Schumacher by most of the F1 community.
Many critics expect him to break or at least equal the record of seven titles set by Schumacher. At the end of the 2012 F1 season, Vettel became the youngest triple champion which means he only needs another two consecutive F1 titles in order to equal Schumacher’s
record of five consecutive titles.
Vettel is mostly speculated for having the quickest car on the grid which many think has been the major reason for his three consecutive wins but in the last three seasons, he has come much further in proving his driving capabilities.
2010 F1 season
The 2010 F1 season was Vettel’s second year with Red Bull Racing and the year he won his first F1 championship. He began the season with a strong performance secure the first pole position of the season during the Bahrain Grand Prix although he finished
the race at fourth place. He continued to take a second consecutive pole position during the next race in Australia. His first win of the season came with the Malaysian GP.
Vettel continued to show strong qualifying pace throughout the season. At the Japanese GP, he was the fastest in all the practice sessions and then qualified for another pole position. He converted that pole into a Grand Prix victory and became the youngest
driver ever to win two races over the same track; his first win being during the 2009 F1 season.
Brazilian GP was the penultimate race of the season and Vettel began the race being fifteen points behind Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso who at that time was leading the drivers’ championship. Vettel and teammate, Mark Webber, finished the race with a one-two
win that won Red Bull Racing their first ever constructors’ championship.
The last race of the season was the Abu Dhabi GP which he once again began from pole position and led himself to victory. He not only became the youngest F1 champion but also he is the second driver in F1 history to win a championship despite not being in
lead throughout the season. He defeated Alonso by four points.
2011 F1 season
Many say that this was the easiest season for the team as Vettel lead most of the races and this is where the criticism over his driving abilities began. According to Vettel, it is as difficult to lead a race as overtaking your rivals.
He once again began his season displaying strong performance with the Australian GP securing the pole and then converting it into victory. He was 22 seconds ahead of McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton. He continued to dominate the season. During the European GP, the
FIA imposed a ban on engine mappings that many think was done to stop Vettel’s domination of the races. However, the change did not stop Vettel from continuing his strong performance. He made it to fourteen consecutive front row starts and eleven straight
top two finishes. Vettel finished the season in Brazil with a second place but won his second title against McLaren’s Jenson Button.
2012 F1 season
The beginning of the 2012 F1 season was as inconsistent for Vettel as it was for other drivers due to the new Pirelli tyres and exhaust system. However, Vettel could not take the lead as Alonso once again dominated the championship. Vettel was struggling
and it seemed unlikely that he will be able to defend his title for a consecutive third time. However, come second half of the season, he overtook Alonso for the championship lead by winning four consecutive races from Singapore to India. He won his third
successive championship after beating Alonso by three points.
Vettel is presently looking forward to defending his title in the 2013 F1 season to win his fourth straight championship.
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