The Sebastian Vettel era was the first prolonged spell of dominance that Formula 1 had encountered since the Michael Schumacher days when he joined Red Bull. He exploded onto the scene with Toro Rosso in 2008 and soon found himself in the front-running car that his skills warranted.
The Sebastian Vettel era was the first prolonged spell of dominance that Formula 1 had encountered since the Michael Schumacher days when he joined Red Bull.
He exploded onto the scene with Toro Rosso in 2008 and soon found himself in the front-running car that his skills warranted.
2009 was a learning year, and when 2010 came around, he really hit the ground running. Despite being really fast all year, he held the championship lead just once.
But when he did sit on top, he made it count. He claimed the lead at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, and the rest is history.
The youngest world champion in history went on to claim three more (consecutive) titles before his reign came to an end in 2014.
That’s when he decided to join Ferrari and chase his dreams of winning a title with them. Looking back, he was unfortunate to fall short, but he could have adjusted his path.
McLaren ‘negotiated’ to sign Sebastian Vettel when he drove for Toro Rosso
Vettel drove for a handful of teams during his career, scoring points on debut with BMW Sauber, winning with Toro Rosso, claiming four titles with Red Bull, coming close to glory with Ferrari, and finally achieved Aston Martin’s first ever podium.
Some might say that at the age of 35, he retired too soon and still had plenty to give behind the wheel of a single-seater car.
However, it’s important to remember that he debuted at a very young age, and that would have had an effect on his longevity.
Back when he was a Formula 1 rookie in 2007, McLaren actually made an approach for the German driver, but were denied, courtesy of Red Bull having a contract with him already.
“I had negotiated with Sebastian at his Toro Rosso time,” Norbert Haug told F1-Insider in 2020. “Who knows how Formula 1 history would have developed if we had reached an agreement back then?
But, in the top league of Formula 1, everyone negotiates with everyone else at some point, and those who don’t admit it simply keep it to themselves. But it’s still true.”
How Sebastian Vettel joining McLaren for 2008 would have been spectacular
In 2007, both Vettel and current seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton had just made their debuts in the championship.
Moving to McLaren for 2008 would have meant two of the greatest drivers of a generational pairing up together.
Perhaps Hamilton would have faced more competition for the 2008 title? Maybe McLaren would have found a way to win in 2010 or 2012 with Vettel?
Either way, it wasn’t meant to be, but looking back, it remains a fantastic ‘what-if’ scenario. How would they have been managed?
Category: General Sports
