Champion of change
Autocar UK|August 17, 2022
Sebastian Vettel is soon to retire as an F1 legend but also, yet more admirably, a man who does right by all, says Edd Straw
Edd Straw
Champion of change

Few sporting greats would call themselves a hypocrite when announcing their retirement. But four-time Formula 1 world champion Sebastian Vettel has always been a special character, even if it took until his final years in F1 for the watching world to see the hidden depths that lay beneath. When he walks away from F1 after November's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, his legacy will be assured on and off the track.

Vettel's admission that "I don't mind people calling me a hypocrite, because I know that I am myself" reflects his passion for the environment. A legend of a fossil-burning sport yet also a campaigner against climate change, he is far from your normal racing driver.

On the track, his F1 achievements speak for themselves. Only Sir Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher top his tally of 53 victories, while his dominance from 2010 to 2013 with Red Bull Racing is the stuff of legend. His final nine seasons, including six with Ferrari, yielded just 14 victories and endless frustration, but by then he had already fulfilled his destiny.

The young Vettel was steeped in motorsport thanks to the enthusiasm of his father. He talks of spectating at Hockenheim, where he saw Michael Schumacher in his early Benetton days and Nigel Mansell racing the famous Williams FW14B - a car the Heppenheim native now owns.

Vettel made his first big impact in car racing by dominating the 2004 German Formula BMW Championship. He already had much-needed backing from Red Bull and BMW, showing a voracious appetite for building the knowledge of how to become a successful driver.

AlphaTauri team principal Franz Tost knows Vettel well. Not only did his team (then called Toro Rosso) run Vettel to his famous first F1 victory in 2008, but he was also at BMW when Vettel started to make an impact.

Diese Geschichte stammt aus der August 17, 2022-Ausgabe von Autocar UK.

Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.

Diese Geschichte stammt aus der August 17, 2022-Ausgabe von Autocar UK.

Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.

WEITERE ARTIKEL AUS AUTOCAR UKAlle anzeigen
The venomous nature of the Cobra
Autocar UK

The venomous nature of the Cobra

Last week, Matt Prior drove a totally new kind of AC Cobra. This is a car with one of the strongest allures of all - but also an incredibly complex and controversial history.

time-read
3 Minuten  |
October 23, 2024
SKODA KAMIQ
Autocar UK

SKODA KAMIQ

A long getting-to-know-you trip to Spain reveals all

time-read
2 Minuten  |
October 23, 2024
THE SEVEN-YEAR TITCH
Autocar UK

THE SEVEN-YEAR TITCH

Outgoing baby Jag is plush, practical and now eminently affordable

time-read
2 Minuten  |
October 23, 2024
'Our time has come'
Autocar UK

'Our time has come'

Honda may be late to the EV party, but a barrage of bold new battery-powered cars is on the way. JAMES ATTWOOD speaks to boss Toshihiro Mibe at its R&D base to find out what's in store

time-read
8 Minuten  |
October 23, 2024
Lion kings
Autocar UK

Lion kings

Plush, powerful four-door cars are an endangered species - and now Peugeot has called time on its latest, the 508 PSE. STEPHEN DOBIE compares it with its most significant ancestor, the 505 GTI

time-read
6 Minuten  |
October 23, 2024
VOLKSWAGEN GOLF
Autocar UK

VOLKSWAGEN GOLF

Wolfsburg gives the lesser-known Golf PHEV a big-impact refresh

time-read
7 Minuten  |
October 23, 2024
PORSCHE PANAMERA GTS
Autocar UK

PORSCHE PANAMERA GTS

Stuttgart's latest 'bahnstormer targets driver appeal over outright punch

time-read
2 Minuten  |
October 23, 2024
MERCEDES-AMG GT 63 PRO
Autocar UK

MERCEDES-AMG GT 63 PRO

Hardcore variant of V8 sports car engineered with track days in mind

time-read
3 Minuten  |
October 23, 2024
TESLA REVEALS ROBOTAXI
Autocar UK

TESLA REVEALS ROBOTAXI

Firm unveils Cybercab coupé and 20-seat Robovan in autonomy push

time-read
2 Minuten  |
October 23, 2024
DACIA PLOTS AMBITIOUS EXPANDED EURO LINE-UP
Autocar UK

DACIA PLOTS AMBITIOUS EXPANDED EURO LINE-UP

Firm teases something different’ ahead of impending C-segment reveal

time-read
2 Minuten  |
October 23, 2024