Vettel to McLaren 2008
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http://metro.co.uk/2008/03/31/everything-you-need-to-know-about-f1s-rising-new-star-vettel-60896/
I noticed in this article that is says Vettel had the option to move to McLaren in 2008 and this was blocked by Red Bull.
I have a few questions from this:
– Would Lewis Hamilton still of one the championship in 2008?
– Do Red Bull still have that sort of power over their drivers?
– How many championships would Vettel have now? (I presume it would change his career path)
– Would that move have made today’s F1 more interesting? (If that happened Vettel could be at Ferrari now, would we have slightly less Red Bull dominance)Well, not according half the media out there – they seem to love harping on about how it’s just the car that’s so good. Lewis himself was reported as saying “Vettel is not unbeatable, his car is.” – http://www.autoweek.com/article/20131005/f1/131009882
I believe that if Vettel had been at McLaren in 2008, he could have had a more competitive year than he had at Toro Rosso (despite the win in Monza). However, with Hamilton holding McLaren in the palm of his hand, and being the golden boy of the team, I think Vettel’s talent may have been held back as a #2 driver. As it is, I think he showed great ability at Toro Rosso, and he did the right thing by staying within the Red Bull flock – after all, they gave him the chance to get into the sport. Admittedly, he shouldn’t stay there for the entirity of his career – I would love to see him at Ferrari some time soon – but he is in a good place right now.
“I’m not planning everything like: ‘In 2010 I’ll be winning races, and by 2015 I’ll have won five championships’.”
Is Seb psychic? He obviously didn’t predict winning his first race in 2008, but he could be 5x WDC in 2015. Spooky…
It is really spooky @mnmracer: the plural part is almost completely accurate: he started winning in 2009 and of course he’ll have 4 by the end if this year!
@vettel1, 2008 was his first win. Or did you mean “start winning” as in plural?
Had Vettel gone to McLaren in 2008, I think he would have won the title. Possibly in 2011 too. I also think it would have meant Jenson ending up at Red Bull in 2010 instead, given how Horner rates him, and could have won titles there. He’s definitely better than Webber.
@magon4 as a plural! So that was 2009: the first season where he won multiple races.
mnmracer said :
“I’m not planning everything like: ‘In 2010 I’ll be winning races, and by 2015 I’ll have won five championships’.”
Is Seb psychic? He obviously didn’t predict winning his first race in 2008, but he could be 5x WDC in 2015. Spooky…Depends on when in 2015. By the end of 2015 Vettel might even have 6 Championships. :)
If Vettel had been at McLaren in 2008, I think he might have won the WDC, but I don’t know if he could beat Massa in the Ferrari without #1 driver’s treatment. One of the main reasons to why McLaren won the 2008 drivers championship was because Heikki was Lewis’ second fiddle, while Ferrari had two fast drivers. If McLaren too had two competitive drivers who took points off each other, perhaps Massa would’ve snatched the WDC.
Vettel’s prescience is scary. You would’ve thought in 2008 that he was being too aggressive with his targets. As it turns out, he could be spot on…
Kingshark said
If Vettel had been at McLaren in 2008, I think he might have won the WDC, but I don’t know if he could beat Massa in the Ferrari without #1 driver’s treatment. One of the main reasons to why McLaren won the 2008 drivers championship was because Heikki was Lewis’ second fiddle, while Ferrari had two fast drivers. If McLaren too had two competitive drivers who took points off each other, perhaps Massa would’ve snatched the WDC.I agree. HK was clearly the #2 at McLaren while Raikkonen, while not having one of his best seasons, took points off Massa. Considering that Raikkonen was their reigning champion at the start of the season, Ferrari would have given at least some consideration that he was their #1 driver in the beginning. If Massa had a lesser teammate, he could well have clinched the WDC in 2008.
@DavidS Possibly Jenson or Mark or another Young driver
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