Vettel & overtaking
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Does anybody have stats on how many overtakes for position SV (et al) has had to make ON TRACK in the last few seasons? Reason for asking is that the majority of what I remember seeing, are done through strategic pitstops. Obviously, qualifying on pole will skew the stat somewhat, but I don’t recall seeing him pass that many cars for position.
It’s not really a big deal if he doesnt have the overtaking skills of other drivers. I get the sense that most of the time, this is just people looking to discredit and devalue him as a World Champion.
The problem with Vettel’s overtaking is it’s always forgotten about. Then when he does an overtaking move people make pathetic excuses as to why it’s not a ‘real overtake’ even though when Hamilton, Alonso and Button do exactly the same thing they are overtaking God’s.
In Silverstone last year I remember him overtaking four cars in a few laps then he was stuck behind a car for more then a lap and the “Sebastian Vettel can’t overtake” phrase came back.
Just off hand these are the ones that stand out:
Brazil 2008 on Hamilton
Belgium 2009 on Rosberg
Brazil 2009 on Barrichello
China 2010 on Schumacher, Sutil, Webber, Barrichello
Silverstone 2010 on Massa, Petrov, Hulkenberg, Schumacher, Sutil
Australia 2011 on Button
Malaysia 2011 on Massa
China 2011 on Hamilton
Spain 2011 on Massa and Button
This year he has needed to overtake after he made his pit stops and he has done them straight away without a problem. I can’t believe after the passes he’s made this year people still say he can’t overtake.
I don’t think any driver in history has been perfect at everything. Even “the most complete Alonso” has his weaknesses, such as red mist in a race. Vettel just happens to have shown less in an area which is considered important by fans, that’s all. In time, whatever people think is missing from his game will probably come.
He’s no Kobayashi but he’s had some good overtakes, a few failed, but I don’t think he’s awful at it – I say he’s an average F1 driver when it comes to overtaking.
Vettel just happens to have shown less in an area which is considered important by fans, that’s all.
More importantly, by his detractors. If Vettel won the championship tomorrow, a lot of his nay-sayers would stand up and say “Well, he didn’t have to pass anyone on the circuit, so he didn’t have to work for it”.
for me, it’s not about discrediting, it was more a case of in my mind i don’t equate vettel as being one of f1’s prolific overtakers. was curious if this view was justified or not.
I don’t get this debate. HE doesn’t need to overtake. He does such a wonderful job in qualifying. He shouldn’t do something that a) he can’t do because of his grid position and b) doesn’t need to do. Vettel is a top class driver who I rank with Alonso. Schumacher bossed 2000-2004 and didn’t need to make so many overtkaes, but I rank him as the greatest ever, and most would put him in their top 3. So this debate holds no water. Vettel is top class, end of. If he needed to overtake he would do. If Alonso was flying every race, he wouldn’t need to overtake. Same for any driver amongst the calibre of Hamilton, Alonso, Vettel, Schumacher etc.
Top sportsmen are at the top of their game because they play to their strengths, surely that is what Vettel is doing, to many people are forgetting the bigger picture, now put yourselves in this position, you have a the best car on the grid, you can tame this car and know that if you get ahead of everyone you can keep it there and you know if you keep doing this you will be world champion again. Or do you worry about being classed as a good racing driver and take it easy on qualifying and then try to take on the other big guns by overtaking them, you know that your going to have to work at it end up world champion, and there is a lesser probability that you would become it. which one would you choose, I know which one i would. why would anyone want to make life harder for themselves.
In other words he is a sportsman playing to his strengths, and if he wins the world Championship who is the one laughing at the end.
So please dont discredit him for being smart.
I don’t get this debate. HE doesn’t need to overtake. He does such a wonderful job in qualifying.
Try explaining that to the people who intensely dislike him.
I intensely dislike him! Look at my avatar!
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