Vettel’s path to the title in 100 pictures
2010 F1 season review
Sebastian Vettel’s racing career is littered with impressive landmarks.
He won 18 of 20 starts in Formula BMW in 2004, won on his debut in the World Series by Renault, and stormed F1 to become the youngest point scorer, pole sitter, race winner and world champion.
This collection of 100 pictures looks back on his achievements so far.
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- 2004: An early sighting of the famous Vettel finger – the braces are long gone now, though
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- 2004: One of many appearances at the top of the podium in Formula BMW
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- 2004: Charging into turn one at the Nurburgring
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- 2004: Racing Sebastien Buemi in Formula BMW at the Norisring
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- 2004: Winning in Formula BMW at Oschersleben
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- 2004: Congratulations from Buemi at Oschersleben
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- 2004: Vettel won 18 races in 20 starts to win the Formula BMW championship
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- 2005: Racing at Oschersleben in the F3 Euroseries
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- 2005: Sharing the podium at Zandvoort with Lewis Hamilton and Giedo van der Garde
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- 2005: In the Macau Grand Prix
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- 2005: On the Macau Grand Prix podium with Robert Kubica and Lucas di Grassi
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- 2005: Testing for Williams at Jerez
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- 2005: Testing for Williams at Jerez
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- 2006: On the podium at the Norisring in F3
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- 2006: F3 Euroseries race at Brands Hatch
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- 2006: On the F3 Euroseries podium with Paul di Resta Jonathan Summerton at Brands Hatch
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- 2006: Vettel won on his World Series by Renault debut at Misano
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- 2006: Vettel on his World Series by Renault debut at Misano
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- 2006: With ASM in the World Series by Renault
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- 2006: Racing in the World Series by Renault
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- 2006: World Series by Renault at Spa
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- 2006: Heading out for his first practice session at Istanbul
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- 2006: Testing for BMW at Jerez
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- 2006: Mario Theissen of BMW backed Vettel
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- 2006: Vettel at BMW
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- 2006: Testing for BMW
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- 2006: In his first F1 practice session at Istanbul
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- 2006: Interviewed by reporters after topping Friday practice at his first F1 weekend
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- 2006: Practising for BMW a Interlagos
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- 2007: Beginning the World Series by Renault season at Monza
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- 2007: World Series by Renault at Monaco
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- 2007: Vettel was leading the World Series when he left the championship
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- 2007: F1 race debut at Indianapolis for BMW
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- 2007: Vettel took Scott Speed’s place at Toro Rosso in Hungary
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- 2007: Second outing for Toro Rosso at Istanbul
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- 2007: A spin in qualifying at Fuji
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- 2007: His Fuji race ended in disaster when he crashed into Mark Webber behind the safety car
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- 2007: Scrapping with Jenson Button and Jarno Trulli in Shanghai
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- 2007: He recovered from the Fuji debacle by taking fourth at Shanghai
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- 2008: Learning the Singapore street circuit in practice
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- 2008: Vettel crosses the line to win the Italian Grand Prix
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- 2008: Leading behind the safety car at Monza
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- 2008: On the podium with Heikki Kovalainen and Robert Kubica
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- 2008: Celebrating his first win
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- 2008: Vettel claimed pole position in the rain at Monza
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- 2008: On the podium after his first win
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- Sebastian Vettel, Toro Rosso, Monza, 2008
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- Sebastian Vettel, Toro Rosso, Monza, 2008
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- 2008: Gerhard Berger congratulates Vettel on his first win
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- 2008: In practice for Toro Rosso at Fuji
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- 2008: Alongside Coulthard, whose place he took at Red Bull the following year
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- 2009: A move to Red Bull saw Vettel’s name appearing at the top of the times sheets more often
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- 2009: Trying out the RB5 at the Circuit de Catalunya
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- 2009: Testing at the Circuit de Catalunya
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- 2009: The start of his first race for Red Bull
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- 2009: His second win came in another very wet race at Shanghai
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- 2009: First win for Red Bull at Shanghai
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- 2009: The first one-two for Red Bull
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- 2009: A moment’s peace after his first win for Red Bull
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- 2009: Vettel’s helmet for his home race at the Nurburgring
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- 2009: Retiring with damage at Valencia
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- 2009: In the pits at Singapore
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- 2009: A win at Suzuka kept him in the title hunt
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- 2009: Ending the season with a win in Abu Dhabi
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- 2010: Testing the RB6 at Jerez
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- 2010: Early testing hinted at the RB6′s potential
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- 2010: Leading in round one at Bahrain
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- 2010: Button won in Melbourne after Vettel hit trouble
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- 2010: A decisive pass on team mate Webber at the start of the Malaysian Grand Prix
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- 2010: The team cheer Vettel’s overdue first win of the year at Sepang
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- 2010: Another pole position at Shanghai
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- 2010: Football match in Monte-Carlo with ex-Red Bull driver Vitantonio Liuzzi
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- 2010: Vettel had to give best to team mate Webber at Monaco
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- 2010: Trouble brewing – Vettel chases down Webber at Istanbul
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- 2010: Spinning out after contact with Webber
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- 2010: The crash with Webber
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- 2010: Another potential win gone, this time after hitting his team mate
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- 2010: Vettel’s damaged RB6 at Istanbul
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- 2010: Facing the press after colliding with Webber
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- 2010: An emphatic win on the streets of Valencia
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- 2010: Contact at the start at Silverstone ruined his race
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- 2010: Getting ready for the start at Hockenheim
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- 2010: Vettel defended hard at the start but Alonso squeezed past
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- 2010: Congratulating title rival Alonso in Hockenheim
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- 2010: What should have been a win in Hungary became third after a safety car blunder
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- 2010: A last-lap pit stop in Monza helped him to fourth
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- 2010: Vettel won again at Suzuka in 2010
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- 2010: Vettel raved about the Japanese track
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- 2010: Vettel and his four championship rivals
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- 2010: Presenting a birthday present to Mr F1 – and confirmed Vettel fan – Bernie Ecclestone
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- 2010: Engine failure while leading in Korea threatened to extinguish his championship hopes
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- 2010: Vettel beats surprise pole sitter Nico Hülkenberg off the line
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- 2010: Red Bull decided against enforcing team orders at Interlagos
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- 2010: A crucial win in Interlagos
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- 2010: Celebrating at Interlagos
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- 2010: The championship victory sinks in
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- 2010: The McLaren pair help him celebrate his title
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- 2010: Michael Schumacher congratulates Vettel on his title
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- 2010: The 2011 title defence starts here – Pirelli tyre testing at Yas Marina
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- 2010: Vettel fans in his home town of Heppenheim
2010 F1 season review
- The complete F1 Fanatic 2010 season review
- Lewis Hamilton voted best driver of 2010
- The best guest contributions of 2010
- F1 Fanatic’s 50 best articles of 2010
- The 2010 F1 season in 100 pictures
- 2010 F1 driver rankings part four: the top three
- Vote for the best F1 driver of 2010
- 2010 F1 driver rankings part three: 8-4
- 2010 F1 driver rankings part two: 17-9
- 2010 F1 driver rankings part one: 27-18
Images © Getty Images/Red Bull, GEPA/Red Bull, Renault World Series, Formula Three Euroseries, BMW ag
OKU said on 26th November 2010, 13:04
Brilliant collection!
Thank you, Keith.
TommyB (@tommyb89) said on 26th November 2010, 18:16
Agreed, Great photos Keith and thanks for sharing.
I love how different he looked in 2004 and then in 2005 he looks exactly how he does now.
damonsmedley (@damonsmedley) said on 29th November 2010, 3:56
He must have been one of the youngest drivers in each category he ever participated in! And thanks for sharing these photos Keith. :)
sumedh said on 26th November 2010, 13:10
The finger didn’t come till his pole position in Monza. His celebrations before that seem very awkward.
Shomir said on 26th November 2010, 13:29
Look at the first photo
sumedh said on 26th November 2010, 13:57
Ohh!! I saw the 2004 Formula BMW picture first.
Mc Phisto said on 26th November 2010, 13:18
I love the 2008 STR.
BasCB (@bascb) said on 26th November 2010, 15:59
They had a lot better livery than Red Bull at the time.
AndrewTanner (@andrewtanner) said on 26th November 2010, 13:27
The first picture is an absolute classic! I want to blow it up and take it with me to Spa next year :)
Fixy (@fixy) said on 26th November 2010, 13:48
Excellent photos. Although in the 3rd and 4th pictures it’s difficult to tell who he is, as most drivers have a plain Red Bull checkers logo on their helmet.
slr said on 26th November 2010, 15:56
That “spin in qualifying at Fuji” actually happened during the race when Vettel collided with Alonso.
Scalextric said on 26th November 2010, 16:30
Vettel’s early carting experience in this video on the Red Bull site.
Icthyes said on 26th November 2010, 17:49
Is it worrying that Vettel and Hamilton look exactly the same as they did in that photo? :D
Nice to see that old Toro Rosso again, I long for the days when you could tell them apart from Red Bull…
Jarred Walmsley (@jarred-walmsley) said on 27th November 2010, 3:12
If they adopt the sugar-free livery it will be incredibly easy, so come on STR do it.
George (@george) said on 26th November 2010, 18:15
Brilliant collection, thanks Keith.
wasiF1 said on 27th November 2010, 6:35
Nice to see that people like Kubica Hamilton Vettel & many others have fought between then in various series between them in the past & they again fight in F1.
nena said on 27th November 2010, 12:29
Thank you Keith. Many funny photos;-) I like your blog very much!