Is Sebastian Vettel really a champion or just lucky? – Formula 1 Special
Anyone who is a fan of Red Bull Racing’s Sebastian Vettel has frequently heard from others that the young German driver is extremely lucky and his three consecutive F1 championships have been greatly aided by the cars which have been developed by the genius
technical officer of Red Bull, Adrian Newey.
Vettel won his first title in the 2010 F1 season where he was met by a tough challenge from Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso. Vettel’s first win was much difficult as he was unable take lead in any of the race before the final race of the season in Abu Dhabi. He
won that championship with lead of four points over Alonso.
The 2011 F1 season was surely the best for Vettel with various pole positions and victories throughout the season. However, saying that the season was easy cannot be justified since the fact that you are leading most of the races does not mean that it was
easier for the driver. Vettel has been continuously criticised for not being able to overtake. It should be taken into consideration that you do not have to overtake when there is no one in front of you. A driver should not be judged on his abilities before
he has had a chance for proving himself.
However, this past season has given Vettel plenty of chances for proving his overtaking abilities and surely his performance has urged many people to appreciate him. The start of the season was difficult for him like many other drivers on the grid due to
the new exhaust systems being introduced. Vettel was not even in the lead until after the summer break. It was Alonso who was leading the championship with Vettel’s teammate Mark Webber trailing him. The Red Bull driver did have some lows this season when
he finished the Malaysian GP without any points which was a first since 2010 Belgian GP; also a first below top ten qualification in the Chinese GP since the 2009 Brazilian GP.
Vettel started to become strong from the Singapore GP from where he started his winning streak which ended after four races in India. The German’s true chance to prove himself came in Abu Dhabi where he was disqualified due to a fuel irregularity. Vettel
started the race from the pit lane and was still successful in making it to the podium. Many critics say that Vettel had the advantage of the safety cars deployed in that race but then the ability to avail opportunities in your favour is also a rare talent
which Vettel did.
Once again in the season ending Brazilian GP, Vettel’s race was obstructed by a collision in the first lap which put him at the back of the grid. He still made it to the sixth place which he maintained to win his third title.
To some extent, it is right to say that Vettel is greatly supported by having the quickest car on the grid but it is clear from this past season that he can overtake when the situation requires it. Even if a driver is leading the race and then wins it, it
should not be ignored that maintaining that lead over 23 other drivers on the grid is as difficult as winning a race while coming from far behind.
It will be unfair to say that Alonso is not a better driver but luck is not the only thing making Vettel win. The German is definitely talented and deserves the championship after having a stressful season.
However, the strongest chance Vettel will have to prove himself as a driver will be when he moves to another team with another car.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely of the writer’s and do not reflect bettor.com’s official editorial policy.
Tags: