Sebastian Vettel: Is he Germany’s next Michael Schumacher?
How many times in the future will we see Vettel on the top step of the podium?
Here’s what I wrote about Sebastian Vettel after he scored his first point at Indianapolis last year:
He was only going to get more attention than Hamilton on his debut if he’d stuck his BMW on pole, won the race, set fastest lap and snogged Bernie Ecclestone afterwards. But what he did do was damn impressive – and his form up to this point suggests we’ve another special talent on our hands.
Back then there was a lot of scepticism about how good he would turn out to be. But his mature and composed drive to victory in tricky circumstances will surely have answered most of the doubters. So, how good do we think he is now?
Hearing the German and then Italian national anthems playing one after the other at Monza yesterday it was hard not to think back to that famous race two years ago, when Michael Schumacher won and then announced he would retire from F1 at the end of the year.
The coincidence is perhaps at the root of many of the suggestions that Sebastian Vettel is the new Michael Schumacher. It’s far too early to say for sure that Vettel is that good a driver – but he could be the fresh young talent German fans have been waiting for.
No disrespect to Nick Heidfeld, Nico Rosberg, Timo Glock or Adrian Sutil, but none of those drivers has anything like the kind of following Schumacher had. Even with five home drivers in the sport – a quarter of the grid – the German Grand Prix didn’t sell out this year.
By becoming the first German since Schumacher to win a race, Vettel can be the driver to change that.
The season didn’t start very well for Vettel as he was involved in a number of incidents though most, in fairness, were not of his doing. When we last had a look at Vettel’s career there was still some doubt over how good he was.
His win yesterday – as well as going some way towards justifying the hype – sets up a fascinating scenario when Vettel moves to Red Bull next year. His future team mate Mark Webber has been one of F1′s ‘nearly men’ for several years.
Now the much younger Vettel will joining him as a team mate with a victory already to his name. Of course, Webber might already be a Grand prix winner had it not been for a certain incident involving Vettel at Fuji last year.
There are still elements of Vettel’s ability as an F1 driver we’re yet to see. But he can already put an emphatic tick next to the box marked: “win a soaking wet race”.
Michael Schumacher won plenty of races like that. Is Vettel his successor in the eyes of Germany?
Read more about Sebastian Vettel: Sebastian Vettel biography
Andy R said on 15th September 2008, 15:35
As Loki points out, STR was one of the best cars to have on the day, so I’d question the degree to which Vettal drove beyond his car’s capabilities, as opposed to ‘just’ doing a really strong job in a strong car.
He certainly took full advantage of his opportunity, didn’t throw it into the scenery, but he wasn’t exactly pushed by anyone during the race – Kovy was well behind from the start.
With the right timing/luck Piquet gained the lead, and kept a number of better cars behind to be second to only to Hamilton yet (rightly) we’d not compare him to Schumi.
A fantastic drive from Vettel, yes, but ‘Schumacher’ levels?!? I’m not convinced. It’s too early to tell if he’ll be one of the greatest of all time or if he simply put in a great race in tricky conditions. Let’s assess a few races into patnering Webber…(who I’m sure was described in similar terms a couple of years back)…
Martin said on 15th September 2008, 16:18
@ Paul Sainsbury, re: KB:
1) I think he is referring to (at a minimum) the incidents with Alonso/Webber/Glock (just the ones that come to mind at the moment) –
2) unpopularity with other drivers from immodest talk is one thing, but when it also results from “driving style”…
3) uh, Monza is not really the first race where it’s been an issue…
Paul Sainsbury said on 15th September 2008, 17:00
@Martin, re: KB.
Aha. Yeah, I have studied several ‘borderline’ moves by Hamilton, but I think ‘borderline’ is exactly what they are. It seems to me he is willing to go the the limit of the rules, but I don’t think he has overstepped them. Webber, for example, had no complaints after the race, as during the moment they touched, Lewis had simply been taking the racing line for the corner. It is particulary apparent on the replay, as the line is very obvious due to it drying out.
Anyway, it looks like there may be a thread on this subject so I look forward to us all discussing it further soon.
Kate said on 15th September 2008, 17:05
Vettel as the next Schumacher? Well to some Germans I know, they will tell you that there is only one Schumacher (Ralf never counted with them) so there is no & will never be “next” Schumacher … Personally, Michael got me interested in F1, I am not sure yet if Vettel has the same drawing power.
Me, I too think that it is too early to tell, Vettel has fantastic potential, seems a great guy and had a great race but like Mark Webber, it is also so much about the team he is signed to. Mark has been seriously let down by numerous car failures over the years. I think he must be the unluckiest F1 driver with his mechanical DNFs
I also think it is hard to compare drivers from different eras, they were driving with different rules, different tracks, different tyres, different technology. Still someone like Coulthard or Barricello occasionally surprise me with a nice performance or two
nick clews said on 15th September 2008, 17:35
i wish everyone will let vettel just be vettel and stop comparing him to schumacher, im sure he will want to be preffered to as vettel than baby schumi etc…
Sush said on 15th September 2008, 18:36
Nick Clews and Lustigthingie!
I think it boils down to the commetators of each TV Station making those kind of “the next Lauda” type of remarks in their rather rubbish opinions…. it will spill over onto a web convo, let alone a pub convo with Sun reading cretins.
Hamilton’s move last year of keeping his car in gear at Nurburgring so his pet pokecrane would grab him first was “a Schuemaker style move” according to James Allen…. no it wasn’t you nitwit!, Mike wouldn’t have crashed in the wet in the first place!.
Shashi said on 15th September 2008, 19:10
“Hearing the German and then Italian national anthems playing one after the other…
the coincidence is perhaps at the root of many of the suggestions that Sebastian Vettel is the new Michael Schumacher.”
I think that’s pretty much the only thing they have in common (their nationality)! You don’t get in front of Massa, Raikkonen, Hamilton, Kubica, etc in an STR by sheer talent. He was extremely lucky to be on pole and like others said, he had no pressure on him and a train of slow cars between him and the guys who really could have pushed him (Lewis, Kimi).
I can’t give really give him credit for a ‘calm, composed drive’ either because those who don’t win races do that too and I don’t think it differentiates winners from losers.
All in all, yeah, nice entertaining race and a surprise result but an amazing show of talent? That’s stretching it.
I liked what Mario Theissen said when he was asked if Vettel was a star, “Well he’s only 21 so let’s not put so much pressure on him.”
Paul Sainsbury said on 15th September 2008, 19:34
@ Sush
‘Hamilton’s move last year of keeping his car in gear at Nurburgring so his pet pokecrane would grab him first was “a Schuemaker style move” according to James Allen…. no it wasn’t you nitwit!, Mike wouldn’t have crashed in the wet in the first place!’
All the cars were aquaplaning off at that corner at that time, on a river of water. Schu would have been in there with the rest of them, I am afraid.
Andy R said on 15th September 2008, 20:06
Shashi – Raikkonen was struggling to push anyone more than Fisi for much of the race, such is how poor the Ferrari is in the wet/damp/cold, or how average some, myself included, think he is when his car’s not to his liking.
The STR was much higher up the ranking of best cars due to conditions, possibly second only to McLaren, and the first one of those was driven by Kovalainen having another average half asleep day (as quite a number of the ‘leading’ drivers are having this year) and in the second McLaren Lewis did a, shall we say robust, job of getting up the field, but ruining the tyres in the process of doing so, preventing further progress (not forgetting the extra stop).
I think Vettal did a better job than most of the other drivers who had better or worse cars on Sunday, plus he’s a young inexperienced racer and I maintain he deserves credit for capitalising his opportunity to the full rather than being average or throwing it away, just not the adulation he’s getting from some media. He needs to do much more to earn that. As Brar says, Vettel was honest enough to effectively say as much re circumstances leading to win.
And as it was in a Red Bull just with a better engine I think it’s actually STR the team that deserve as much credit for getting it working so well with a small team and a small budget.
amy said on 15th September 2008, 20:11
Love Schumi, love Vettel, I think he is the next michael schumacher in terms of a fantastically quick racer who seems to possess all the skill but I doubt even this young star will ever be as successfull as the greatest of greats, Michael Schumacher, so Baby Schumi, yes, the next schumi, no.
IDR said on 15th September 2008, 22:25
This is what Giorgio Ascanelli has answered regarding Sebastian Vettel similarities with other drivers:
Can you see similarities between him and the drivers you’ve worked with in the past?
GA: Why do you want to say that? It is not appropriate. Every man is a human being, he is different and he has his own peculiarities. Let’s not try to compare anybody.
Selfexplanatory!
Daniel said on 15th September 2008, 22:46
What impressed me the most was the fact that Vettel won FROM POLE POSITION with a back-of-the-grid team, with all the top drivers finishing the race.
I watch Formula 1 since 1991 and I’ve never seen it happen before…
Other huge upsets I remember were Barrichello’s pole at the 1994 Belgian Grand Prix with Jordan, that didn’t convert in a win; Olivier Panis’ win at the 1996 Monaco Grand Prix with a decaying Ligier, when only four cars took the chequered flag; Hill almost winning with Arrows in 1997, but claiming 2nd in the end; Fisichella’s win the 2003 Brazilian Grand Prix with an horrible Jordan, but only after many many accidents and a red flag, but none of these were as big as Vettel’s acheivement.
He was absolutely brilliant, destroyed Kovalainen and the fact that his car was with a dry set up only makes his victory even bigger, because he had to, in order to capitalise from the extra speed in the straights, control the car in the bends and chicanes, without spinning or losing time.
I’ve criticized Vettel before, I thought he was overhyped, but, with this result, no matter what happens with him from now on, I can say he proved me wrong and he deserves my inconditional respect.
Yes, he’s talented enough to be the next Schumacher, but, as many people said, I’d rather see him as the first Vettel…
Terry Fabulous said on 15th September 2008, 22:48
Yes, he will be the next Michael Schumacher. Being that he will be the next German to win the title. What a talent!!
PS: I love how an article on Vettel has turned into a debate about Hamilton’s driving. He really is the talking point of the sport!
It would be interesting to see of the 1,000 or so articles that Keith has written this year, how many DON’T involve a mention of discussion of Lewis.
Brar said on 15th September 2008, 23:03
Vettel said yesteday that “is ridiculous to compare anyone of us with Schumacher”.
Formula 1 is returning to good driver times. There is Hamilton, and now there is Vettel.
Kubica is one of the highest level. There are more pilots as Alonso (that make a good race in Monza). You can criticize each one with quite good reasons. But its nice to see the races then 3 years before. An even Massa is in evolution, no ones gives nothing for him, but I remember that there were lots of people that gived nothing for Mansell too.
teamorders said on 15th September 2008, 23:08
“To compare me with Michael Schumacher is just a bit ridiculous,” Vettel said. “I know him well and he’s a very nice guy who is very down-to-earth.”
I like that Vettel has his feet on the ground and has a some degree of modesty. He has let his driving do the talking :) A very nice change from trash talkin’ Lewis.