Vettel: ‘My winning run doesn’t compare to Ascari’s’

2013 Brazilian Grand Prix

Posted on

| Written by

Sebastian Vettel said his feat of winning nine consecutive races didn’t bear comparison with Alberto Ascari’s similar achievement.

Ascari entered and won nine consecutive world championship races from 1952 to 1953 (skipping one round). Vettel matched that achievement with his ninth win in a row in Brazil.

“I think in terms of a certain record with Alberto Ascari you can’t really compare it, it’s at a completely different time,” said Vettel after the race.

“If you consider the fact that in the fifties the races were much longer and there were a lot of things that were breaking down, much more than nowadays where it’s very professional, reliability is exceptionally good for everybody. I think his record still stands out a lot.

“So at the end of the day, as I see it now, it’s just a number but hopefully one day, when I’ve got less hair and chubby then it’s probably something nice to look back to.”

No driver has ever won more than nine races in a row, a record Vettel could break in the first round of the 2014 season.

2013 Brazilian Grand Prix

Browse all 2013 Brazilian Grand Prix articles

Image © Red Bull/Getty

Author information

Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

Got a potential story, tip or enquiry? Find out more about RaceFans and contact us here.

24 comments on “Vettel: ‘My winning run doesn’t compare to Ascari’s’”

  1. “So at the end of the day, as I see it now, it’s just a number but hopefully one day, when I’ve got less hair and chubby then it’s probably something nice to look back to.”

    Now that made me laugh, can’t imagine him like that.

    1. OmarR-Pepper (@)
      25th November 2013, 15:42

      @hunocsi just look on the web a pic of his father!

  2. It was quite humbling to hear Vettel say that he didn’t think he compared to such a record. However, I think that it’s just as good. Ascari was able to take advantage of a reliable period to win many races consecutively, which is exactly what Vettel has done as well, and you could argue that even though his car has been supreme during the second half of the season, he still has a very competitive field to fight with, which would capitalise on any mistakes he could have made. So I say well done to him, he’s done an amazing job, and deserves the credit for it.

  3. I don’t think the record itself is much better than, say, winning 12/13 races with two streaks of six. But the unreliability doesn’t of older cars doesn’t make Ascari’s record more impressive because neither driver has control over reliability. All each did was win all the races he could over a period of time when the car didn’t break. Reliability is irrelevant, it only makes streaks more likely, not easier.

    1. Had Schumacher won Monaco 2004, he’d have had 13 in a row, as well as tied Senna with 6 Monaco wins…

      1. But he didnt, and was unlikely to do so even if he hadnt crashed. Couldves and whatifs do not count.

        1. Yeah, crashing out in the lead with an almighty Ferrari makes him unlikely to have won the race..

          1. Yes it was unlikely. Trulli was the king of the weekend. Schumacher was leading during the safetycar period, but he had to make another stop and Trulli didn´t. So in a few laps Schumi had to make up 20 seconds or so to be able to make a pitstop and come back ahead of Trulli

    2. I think SV is right to say the records are not to be compared. Ascari drove in a far more dangerous time that required much more bravery and nerve that had to be kept in check for much longer races under much more difficult conditions.

      Reliability is practically a given now, in fact is insisted upon by the FIA with the regs limiting the number of engines and gearboxes that can be used, so the odds are much higher now of being able to pull off this particular record….hence MS and SV both doing it in the modern era. And I disagree that reliability is out of the drivers’ control…or at least, in the modern era computers will ensure drivers will not pay for mistakes, and there’s no chance of mis-shifts etc etc.

      Ascari et al would have needed to be far more careful with their cars’ engines, brakes, gears, etc as they (the drivers) would have been far more in control of their condition and could far more easily overdrive the car and break or wear something out prematurely, and without computers telling engineers in the pits what to tell the drivers to do, on the fly. The drivers had to know far more about the kind of condition their car was in as the races went along.

  4. I’m glad to see Vettel being gracious about this, and I’m also glad to see him doing donuts and things that the fans enjoy after the race win! I don’t like it when F1 acts so stodgy and it’s good to see the drivers interacting with the crowd and doing things to keep them more entertained.
    I’ve never been a Vettel fan and I hate to see him win everything so easily but I can’t fault him for his actions lately and he’s certainly showing great skill. I still think his Adrian Newey car is a big advantage…but he overcomes the things that go wrong so I can’t deny he’s a great driver.

  5. Vettel really bugs me! I REALLY want to dislike him, I even start to, then he comes out with stuff like this and I can’t help but warm back up to him! I definitely gave a smile when I read the less hair and chubby bit!

  6. I am almost convinced

    Michael schumacher + some racing ethic ( ‘some’ not ‘all’) + some humility = Vettel .

    But We shall see if the above holds good 100 % . I am curious to see if Vettel can go to a different team and win WDC . then I would rank him one of the all time greats of f1 .

    1. The amount of poles, wins and championship wins he has is good enough for me, plus he has about 10 more years in f1 easy. He has nothing to prove anymore

    2. OmarR-Pepper (@)
      25th November 2013, 15:51

      @hamilfan Senna, Hamilton’ hero, won all his championships in McLaren, and it’s deffinitely an all-time great. Prost was his teammate yes, but went out of McLaren when he couldn’t stand the competition. Alonso did the same when hamilton appeared and beat him. Vettel sent Webber to retirement, not letting him win a single time in the “almighty Newey’s car” this year, so there you can see that to win in a perfect car, first you must really drive it perfectly.

      1. @omarr-pepper I get the point you are making . In fact I would say Vettel did a tremendous job in 2012 initially coming home with valuable points while Lewis could not get the consistency after Malaysia(due to various reasons). But , it is another thing to completely move to a new team , work with a new set of people build a team from shambles ( Ferrari were in the mid 90s I believe ) and then win WDCs . Vettel has a long way to go in terms of his own performance ( he has not reached his peak which is scary to think) and his age . If he does that , he will literally be worshipped as the best f1 guy.Maybe even a few places higher in the all time list .

  7. It (again) shows how much Vettel is an F1Fanatic as much as most on this site. He knows full well that those are amazing statistics, but on the other hand shows respect to the times and circumstances, while adding in a bit of humor too. I would say he has deserved the COTW (Comment of the Weekend) Keith.

  8. John Richardson
    25th November 2013, 7:13

    I am curious as to why people say that Vettel will only be great if he wins a title in another team, just like Hamilton, Alonso and Senna etc. who also only won in 1 team. Prost must be 1 of the greatest of all time, he won in 3 different teams.

    1. If I’m not mistaken, Prost only got his championships with two teams, McLaren, and Williams.

      1. Either way, his point stands, usually it is hamilton and alonso diehard fans wanting to see vettel win in another team.

        1. petebaldwin (@)
          25th November 2013, 14:39

          I agree although it does have to be said, both are now trying to win a championship for another team whilst Seb is happy coasting around at 50% picking up championship after championship.

          1. OmarR-Pepper (@)
            25th November 2013, 15:54

            @petebaldwin Alonso wasn’t really “trying himself in another team”, he escaped crying from McLaren, not before accusing his own team on cheating, to end up in another cheating team in 2008. How can you go out of Red Bull if the team is winning? Hamilton went to Mercedes because he saw McLaren is great one year and rubbish the next one.

  9. He’s a smart bloke. And a humble one.

    Amazing achievement nonetheless. I’m glad in thirty years I’ll be able to tell people that I watched this happen with my own eyes.

  10. He always seems so humble which is quite a breath of fresh air in professional sport.

  11. petebaldwin (@)
    25th November 2013, 14:37

    Good thing it wasn’t Alonso – he’d have a special “9 in a row!” helmet made up for Australia!

Comments are closed.