Bravo Vettel!

[ioan]

Here's to a future Champion!

[dwf1]

amazing race. Will Buemi really follow that? NO!!!! well done seb

[VkmSpouge]

Vettel did a really excellent job today and showed pace, consistency and maturity to win in very tricky track conditions. Well done to him and the Toro Rosso team. This is as close to Minardi winning in F1 we'll ever get :D

[BDunnell]

Brilliant, just brilliant.

[ioan]

Yeah, who would have believed that the ex-Minardi team will ever win a race based on their own pace!
I'm really impressed! :)

[gloomyDAY]

I hope Garry Walker doesn't find this thread.
He'll say Vettel is just another lucky driver.

Amazing for STR and the young German...

[janneppi]

What a horrible flashback in the podium ceremony, first the German national anthem followed by the Italian one. :D

Excellent race from Vettel.

[BDunnell]

I hope Garry Walker doesn't find this thread.
He'll say Vettel is just another lucky driver.

Agreed!

[markabilly]

Yes SV drove an excellent race and makes me wonder that if I were looking for a driver, would I want him or the guy who does the fastest lap at the end of a race while in a less than meaningful place in the standings....

[veeten]

a great drive by a new up-and-comer. :)

My only hope is that the racing press doesn't start calling him 'the next Shuey'. Let Vettel build his own name in his own way, by his work on the track. :)

[gloomyDAY]

Looked like Vettel's dad was going to pass out while being interviewed.
Norbert seems elated! lol

[Viktory]

Absolutely amazing drive. Very impressed with Vettel. A future champion no doubt!

[Bradley]

And bravo Toro Rosso !

[BDunnell]

My only hope is that the racing press doesn't start calling him 'the next Shuey'. Let Vettel build his own name in his own way, by his work on the track. :)

I couldn't agree more. :up:

[F1boat]

Fantastic driver and fantastic victory. I am so happy and I think that the tifosi should be happy to hear the familiar combo of the German and the Italian anthem.
But this victory is even more significant, a dream, which came true for a young boy and the wonderful people from Faenza who never gave up and were finally rewarded.
Forza Vettel!

[ioan]

My only hope is that the racing press doesn't start calling him 'the next Shuey'.

They already do, he's called "BabySchumi"! ;)
What I hope, and I'm sure this will be the case, is that he will keep his composure and won't start drawing parallels and and making comparison, like a certain other driver usually does!

Did you hear that Lewy? :D

[Powered by Cosworth]

I told you all Minardi would rise again!

Really happy for the Italians, after so much fear over job security over the years, and the complete lack of pace for many many seaons, i'm so thrilled something good has come to them, and it's all their own doing! (Race-wise anyway). :D

[VkmSpouge]

Now that Toro Rosso has overtaken Red Bull in the Constructors' Championship I wonder how Vettel feels about having to join Red Bull next season?

[I am evil Homer]

Wow another thread, another dig at Hamilton...this is getting old now.

Well done to Vettel...lets hope RBR build a decent car for next season!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[F1boat]

Isn't this the first Ferrari victory which is not won by the factory team?

[jens]

Fantastic, absolutely incredible!! :up: :) Before the season I thought Der Seb will be racing around P15 throughout the season and didn't have any expectations on 2008, but it has turned out to be an astonishing rise. A win in his 22nd F1 Grand Prix. Youngest ever pole sitter and race winner, having shown maturity in handling the race. This is not only his first win, but also first podium as the first such opportunity at Fuji '07 ended in tears. But already back then it became clear that another opportunity would come sooner or later and most likely in wet conditions. With every Grand Prix weekend he's proving more and more that he should be seriously considered for a top team drive in F1.

Vettel was compared with Schumacher already back in 2005 and with further success it's obvious those comparisons by the press are almost inevitable, but let's see, what the future brings. I'm afraid that his 2009 season with Red Bull-Renault will bring him less success than the current one, so it's needed to be ready for a potential setback...

[Placid]

DM must be proud for this youngster.

[Rollo]

Let it be known that as of this GP the Vettel-Panis Exemption Clause has now been passed.

A common argument on this forum is that X Driver would have won a GP if only they had been given the chance to drive a better car. Vettel proved today that occasionally it's not the car that will win you the Grand Prix but how much talent you possess.

Quite honestly, you can't ask for a better performance from him, in Vettel's wake were two Ferraris, two McLarens, two Renaults, two BMWs and even Red Bull themselves conceeded that their second team wasn't as good - so all this meant is that it was the driver who did the work; ie. Vettel won the GP, NOT his car.

There are corollaries of this and perhaps I'll address this later.

[CNR]

about this time last year toro rosso seam to get better ferrari engines
if the same thing happens this year he could win again.

[markabilly]

My only thought is that he best get to a team that can consistently put it all together; otherwise he will end up like Button....remember when Button won his first GP? Everyone celebrated the same as now, and.........then.....then.....and I must admit, that he was and probably remains a very talented driver.....

[wedge]

Let it be known that as of this GP the Vettel-Panis Exemption Clause has now been passed.

A common argument on this forum is that X Driver would have won a GP if only they had been given the chance to drive a better car. Vettel proved today that occasionally it's not the car that will win you the Grand Prix but how much talent you possess.

Quite honestly, you can't ask for a better performance from him, in Vettel's wake were two Ferraris, two McLarens, two Renaults, two BMWs and even Red Bull themselves conceeded that their second team wasn't as good - so all this meant is that it was the driver who did the work; ie. Vettel won the GP, NOT his car.

There are corollaries of this and perhaps I'll address this later.

Senna almost won in the Toleman at Monaco 1984

Damon Hill close to winning 1997 Hungarian GP

Why the man upstairs decided to give it to Vettel, I have no idea!

[stevie_gerrard]

Fair play to Vettel, he has been one of the drivers of the season, and he totally deserves this. Hope this win is the first of many :)

[wmcot]

I thought it was classy on the cool down lap that many other drivers paused next to Vettel to show a sign of congratulations for him! Nice touch!

[samuratt]

I thought it was classy on the cool down lap that many other drivers paused next to Vettel to show a sign of congratulations for him! Nice touch!

Fernando even hug him at the end!!!

[Storm]

Great race by him...cool and calm even for such a young guy in tricky conditions to keep the lead at the start and then dominate. Well done Sebastian!

ps: having Heikki behind on any rolling start must make the leader happy, he never gets close to the front car at the restart (seen after SC too)

pps: Yes I liked the fact that Fernando was the first one to wish him (he broke Alonso's record) and hugged him...nice to see that :up:

[Valve Bounce]

Here's to a future Champion!

ioan, I am moved to ask you how you regard this fellow in comparison with SchM; after his wonderful drive, I would rate him likely to be SchM's successor as a future multiple champion who will dominate F1.

What do you think?

[ioan]

ioan, I am moved to ask you how you regard this fellow in comparison with SchM; after his wonderful drive, I would rate him likely to be SchM's successor as a future multiple champion who will dominate F1.

What do you think?

Early days Valve, but it's looking good.
I'll get some slack for this but still I'd rather see him dominate F1 than Hamilton. ;)

[ArrowsFA1]

Early days Valve, but it's looking good.
I'll get some slack for this but still I'd rather see him dominate F1 than Hamilton. ;)
I wouldn't want to see any driver dominate in the way we've seen in the recent past, but the talented crop of youngsters we're seeing suggests that will not happen. Hamilton, Kubica and Vettel have all shown they are capable of winning GP's and it's probably fair to say they'll all be in competitive machinery in the coming years.

That is an exciting prospect for F1.

[F1boat]

Early days Valve, but it's looking good.
I'll get some slack for this but still I'd rather see him dominate F1 than Hamilton. ;)

Same here :)

[aryan]

Hamilton, Kubica and Vettel have all shown they are capable of winning GP's and it's probably fair to say they'll all be in competitive machinery in the coming years.

That is an exciting prospect for F1.

:up:

[Tazio]

KTM X-Bow
Fettel's other car

[CNR]

Early days Valve, but it's looking good.
I'll get some slack for this but still I'd rather see him dominate F1 than Hamilton. ;)
I SECOND THAT


http://www.auto123.com/en/racing-news/formula-1/f1-sebastian-vettel-sets-fastest-time-in-jerez-before-the-rain?artid=101381

German driver Sebastian Vettel (http://www.auto123.com/en/racing-news/other/f1-vettel-and-toro-rosso-take-historic-history-in-italy?artid=101200) set today the fastest time in the 3rd day of testing at Jerez, Spain.
The young Toro Rosso driver was behind the wheel of the Renault-powered Red Bull.

[Valve Bounce]

I SECOND THAT


http://www.auto123.com/en/racing-news/formula-1/f1-sebastian-vettel-sets-fastest-time-in-jerez-before-the-rain?artid=101381

While I confess to having enthused over fast testing times in the days when ant pedaled the Honda to fastest times week in week out, I have to regard testing times these days with a bit more caution. Having said that, I am hoping that Red Bull will show an increase in performance when they get their Ferrari drive train next year.

It is interesting that Sato is testing the Torro Rosso - what does this mean, I wonder :rolleyes:

[Garry Walker]

I hope Garry Walker doesn't find this thread.
He'll say Vettel is just another lucky driver.

Amazing for STR and the young German...

Well, I did now and can say congrats to Vettel. He has always been amazing in wet, and I have always said so, but he has never impressed me in dry. Before he does that, excuse me if I don`t join the bandwagon of his hype.

What really is obvious is how good the STR is with the Ferrari engine, it is probably the 3rd best car at the moment. In the wet, even better.

[futuretiger9]

I wouldn't want to see any driver dominate in the way we've seen in the recent past, but the talented crop of youngsters we're seeing suggests that will not happen. Hamilton, Kubica and Vettel have all shown they are capable of winning GP's and it's probably fair to say they'll all be in competitive machinery in the coming years.

That is an exciting prospect for F1.

That is one of the great things about F1. There is always a re-generation, where a new crop of young chargers emerges to take over. It looks like the Raikkonen/Alonso era was very short-lived!

Am I alone in thinking that Vettel may just be the complete package, even more than Kubica, for example? He seems to have that difficult to define "something", which is very hard to pin down, and which defines champions.

[ShiftingGears]

What really is obvious is how good the STR is with the Ferrari engine, it is probably the 3rd best car at the moment. In the wet, even better.

Yep. RBR just may be overengineered - a bit like Honda was before Brawn, when SA gave them a run for their money.

[futuretiger9]

Yep. RBR just may be overengineered - a bit like Honda was before Brawn, when SA gave them a run for their money.

That's right, often keeping things simple, with a clear strategy, and employing hungry young drivers, can pay big dividends.