Sebastian Vettel counts four titles on his watch, though it’s only in his tenth complete season on the Formula One grid that the German has been presented with the opportunity to define his own legacy.
In the early stages of his third campaign at Ferrari, the 29-year-old finally appears set for the season which offers to settle many questions which have lingered since claiming his first crown in 2010.
Battling and triumphing over his contemporary, Lewis Hamilton, in commensurate machinery and fulfilling his destiny as the Prancing Horse’s saviour are priorities, though arguably foremost is his personal quest to escape the shadow which many associate with his Red Bull tenure.
Anybody capable of defeating the likes of Hamilton and Fernando Alonso on multiple occasions commands respect, yet the confluence of circumstance has recurringly denied a straight fight, until now.
Short of debating merits of the 2010 and 2012 outcomes, Vettel and Hamilton were much rawer and consequently prone to irrational tendencies in the former, while reliability almost cruelled the German’s maiden title bid and moved the Briton to depart McLaren following the latter.
Notwithstanding Alonso, we’ll never know who might have prevailed had each campaign ran its course unobstructed, suffice to remark that each has enjoyed their share of subsequent success, yet all signs indicate that a definitive summation on the sport’s driver of the post-Schumacher generation can finally be drawn by the conclusion of Abu Dhabi’s season finale in November.
Despite Kimi Raikkonen claiming Ferrari’s most recent drivers’ title in 2007, the Maranello outfit has endured several identity crises since the Brawn-Todt-Schumacher triumvirate was dissolved. The individual supposed to resurrect its fortunes in Alonso grew disillusioned following several near misses – ceding the title to Vettel at the altar in 2010 and 2012, resulting in both parties appearing burned out.
Vettel’s arrival in 2015 was accompanied by an upswing in fortunes, causing many sceptics tired of his finger salute antics – this writer included, to reappraise their view of the German. Though his sophomore campaign manifested in frequent displays of frustration, notoriously informing race director Charlie Whiting to “f*^k off, honestly, f*^ off” at the Mexican Grand Prix, which was telling on the strain of carrying a nation’s dreams.
That he drew a line through this annus horribilis, which has caused previous talent to walk out on the team – or facilitate dismissal as Alain Prost discovered in 1991, and has emerged with two victories from three attempts in the current campaign to date, demonstrates that he has regained his vitality.
It helps that the SF70-H is a stunning piece of machinery, though a brief contrast to Raikkonen reveals a story of domination, the Finn struggling amidst a return to regulations many believed would cater to his strengths. Any lure of a Mercedes berth has surely eased on account of Vettel’s dream start, and considering his passion and awareness of the sport’s history, he realises the potential to create something great at Ferrari.
For all his sentiment towards emulating Schumacher’s feats, the opportunity to step out of the shadow which has lingered over his ultra successful collaboration with Red Bull must carry the greatest draw.
A disciple of Helmut Marko, the German – justified or otherwise, was afforded many privileges over Mark Webber at his behest and benefitted considerably from several midseason rule alterations, coupled with Adrian Newey’s ‘imaginative’ interpretations, just as it appeared that driver and outfit were on the verge of ceding superiority.
Scenes of an emotional Marko on the podium at Abu Dhabi in 2010 hinted on the notion that the four titles were as much the Austrian’s as they were Vettel’s, thus a breakthrough as his own man would go a long way towards addressing the perception of being the fortunate ‘chosen one’ in the former’s unforgiving regime.
Any of the stated motives are sufficient for Vettel to become a worthy champion once more. If successfully encountering the individual who has claimed half of all races since 2014, dually restoring Ferrari to its former glory, aren’t enough to list the German as an all-time great, nothing ever will be.
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