Who he is and his development as a driver
Born on 3 July 1987 in Heppenheim, Germany, Vettel began driving a small kart during childhood. Michael Schumacher was one of his sporting role models. [1]
His competitive development encompassed karting from 1995 and the German and European junior titles in 2001. In 2004 he won Formula BMW ADAC with 18 victories from 20 races, before progressing to Formula 3, where he was the top rookie in 2005. BMW Sauber brought him into Friday practice sessions in 2006. [5]
BMW Sauber and the breakthrough with Toro Rosso
His opportunity to make a Grand Prix debut came at Indianapolis in 2007. BMW Sauber selected him to replace Robert Kubica, who had not received medical clearance to race following his accident in Canada. Vettel brought testing experience to the role, although the circuit was unfamiliar to him. [6]
From the 2007 Hungarian Grand Prix he occupied Scott Speed’s seat at Toro Rosso, having obtained his release from BMW Sauber. The change gave him continuity as a regular race driver, rather than restricting his involvement to testing or replacement appearances. [33]
At Monza in 2008 he took Toro Rosso’s first pole position and victory in wet conditions. At 21, he became the youngest Grand Prix winner at the time. The result demonstrated his ability to turn qualifying speed into a strong performance in a particularly demanding race. [7]
Red Bull: four consecutive championships
In 2009 he secured Red Bull Racing’s first pole and victory in China, alongside teammate Mark Webber. His spell ended in 2014, when Daniel Ricciardo won three races and Vettel left the team without adding another victory to his record that year. [8]
He won the 2010 title in Abu Dhabi aged 23 and defended it in 2011 with eleven victories and fifteen poles. [1]
The 2012 finale was far removed from an unchallenged campaign. In Brazil he suffered an early incident and had to recover to sixth place. That finish allowed him to retain the championship ahead of Fernando Alonso, who finished second in the race. [9]
In 2013 he ended the season with nine consecutive wins and thirteen overall, then matching Michael Schumacher’s total for victories in a season. The last came at Interlagos, with Webber second: a one-two finish that also illustrates Red Bull’s collective performance. [10]
His partnership with Webber included the 2013 Malaysian conflict. Vettel overtook him despite instructions to maintain their positions and won the race, later acknowledging his actions and apologising to the team. It was an episode of tension between an individual result and a team instruction. [11]
Ferrari: victories and an unfulfilled title ambition
He replaced Alonso at Ferrari in 2015, taking three victories in his first season. The team returned to challenging for wins more frequently: Vettel secured five in 2017 and another five in 2018. In 2019 he partnered Charles Leclerc, and in 2020 he learned that his contract would not be renewed. [12]
He finished runner-up in 2017 and 2018, behind Lewis Hamilton in both championships. The official records put his results at 317 and 320 points respectively. [30, 31]
In Singapore in 2019 he led a Ferrari one-two ahead of Leclerc. That victory shows that his final seasons with the team included important successes, although the overall outcome fell short of his world championship ambition. [32]
In a 2020 interview he assessed his six Ferrari years critically: he had achieved fourteen victories but not the championship he had set out to win. He acknowledged that some disputes and decisions could have been handled better, rather than presenting his career as an uninterrupted succession of successes. [13]
Aston Martin and retirement from Formula 1
He raced for Aston Martin in 2021 and 2022. Second place in Azerbaijan in 2021 was the main result of that spell; by the end of his career he had accumulated 53 victories, 57 poles and 122 Formula 1 podiums. [14]
On 28 July 2022 he announced through Aston Martin that he would retire at the end of that season. The decision ended his involvement as a regular championship driver, while leaving room for subsequent demonstrations, sporting projects and initiatives beyond the circuits. [15]
Preparation, sportsmanship and recognition
Mario Theissen, his former BMW boss, recalled in an interview his detailed notes and physical preparation before practice dating back to Formula BMW. Franz Tost highlighted his attention to team motivation. These are specific accounts of his working habits beyond the results themselves. [29]
He also received penalties. Following his collision with Hamilton in Baku in 2017, he served a ten-second stop-go penalty. The FIA closed its subsequent case on 3 July after he accepted responsibility, apologised and committed to taking part in educational activities within motorsport. [16]
Laureus named him World Sportsman of the Year in 2014, following his fourth consecutive title. He received the award in Kuala Lumpur. [17]
He won the individual Race of Champions in London in 2015, beating Tom Kristensen. He had previously won six Nations’ Cups alongside Michael Schumacher. The competition brings together drivers from different disciplines in equivalent machinery. [18]
SailGP and later sporting activities
In May 2023 he introduced the Germany SailGP Team alongside Thomas Riedel and sailor Erik Heil. Vettel joined as a co-investor, with an announced role in team management and performance, while Heil took responsibility for driving the boat on the water. [19]
SailGP continued to list him among the owners in February 2026. The team, led by Heil and CEO Tim Krieglstein, had achieved its first event victory in Geneva during 2025. His role is that of an owner, rather than a regular racing sailor. [20]
He has also maintained his connection with motorsport history. In the Monza 2026 project he expressed his tribute to Michael Schumacher and Ferrari, linking the experience of driving with the preservation of a sporting and personal legacy. [28]
Plastics, water and alternative fuels
In 2021 he unveiled a pink helmet associated with BWT to draw attention to disposable plastic bottles and the emissions from transporting them. The partnership announced bottle-free zones in schools and nurseries. This was a consumption and water campaign with a specific educational objective. [2]
Race Without Trace took historic car demonstrations to Goodwood and the Nürburgring using fuels presented by the project as more sustainable alternatives. Vettel advocated preserving the motorsport experience through different fuel sources. Demonstrating that a car runs does not, by itself, constitute a complete assessment of lifecycle emissions. [22]
Biodiversity: insects, forests and marine environments
Buzzin’ Corner turned Suzuka’s second corner into a biodiversity awareness site, with yellow and black kerbs and eleven insect hotels. Vettel invited drivers and team managers to take part, using a recognisable part of the circuit as a platform for the campaign. [21]
In October 2024 he visited the Amazon through Respect the Amazon, with Greenpeace and Instituto Raoni. The project documented meetings with Indigenous communities, including the Kayapó of Piaraçu, and communicated the need to protect the forest and the knowledge of those who live there. [23]
On 15 August 2025 he participated in SOS Ostsee in Stralsund with Greenpeace Germany and the Ozeaneum. He met scientists working on porpoises and the Baltic Sea, lending his public visibility to a marine conservation issue. [24]
F1REST — Drawn Together invites fans, drivers and children to draw trees for a collective artwork. It seeks to bring the diversity of forest ecosystems closer to the public through artistic participation, with an open invitation to people of different ages and backgrounds. [27]
Education and participation in sport
Race4Women [Challenge Me] brought twenty women drivers together in Jeddah on 15–16 April 2025. Organised with The Track Jeddah and other partners, the programme developed a karting initiative that began in 2021 to encourage women’s participation in motorsport. [25]
Back to School documents a workshop with schoolchildren in Switzerland about the circular economy and what happens to products at the end of their useful life. It complements his public campaigns with an in-person educational experience focused on understanding the cycle of materials. [26]
