“At 7 am my phone was ringing, I looked at it and saw Helmut Marko’s name”: Sebastian Vettel tells how he once ignored Red Bull chief’s call

Tanish Chachra | 20/11/2022
"At 7 am my phone was ringing, I looked at it and saw Helmut Marko's name": Sebastian Vettel tells how he once ignored Red Bull chief's call

The German race driver is at the final step of his career. After Sunday, he will be forever gone from Formula 1 as a driver. The thought is already too overwhelming for the fans and those with whom Vettel worked.

Before his last dance, Vettel talked about several aspects of his F1 career. And surely there is all the time for him to tell about his memorable days.

Vettel had a 15-year-long career in F1, in which he spent considerable time with Red Bull, especially in his formative years. Therefore, he has several tales from those years to tell.

Also read: Alpine boss threatened Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon with replacement after Brazil GP

How Sebastian Vettel avoided Helmut Marko’s calls

The four-time world champion reveals how when he was in his F3 days. He once avoided an early call by the Red Bull chief Helmut Marko. Something bold of him to do back then.

“I remember during the F3 times, at 7 am my phone was ringing, I looked at it and saw Helmut Marko’s name and thought: no I am calling him later,” said Vettel.

It’s not the first time Vettel talked about Marko’s early morning calls. In 2019 also remarked how troubling Mrako’s 7 am calls were for him, in which the Austrian used to d nothing but ask how they were doing.

Last Dance in Abu Dhabi

On Saturday, Vettel entered into his last-ever qualifying. In response, the German gave an electrifying performance and got himself to Q3 with a sub-par Aston Martin.

On Sunday, he will start the race from P9 and surely push hard for a decent finish. His car showed a decent pace around the Yas Marina circuit, but it has limitations that Vettel can’t cover.

It would surely be a special ending for Vettel if he could finish on the podium. But seeing resources at his disposal, it seems like tough work considering Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull’s Sergio Perez will fight for valuable points.

Also read: Sebastian Vettel feels ‘honored’ about former rival having special tribute helmet dedicated to him

Post Edited By: Tanish Chachra
Aston Martin Helmut Marko Sebastian Vettel

About the author

Tanish Chachra

Tanish Chachra is the Motorsport editor at The SportsRush. He saw his first race when F1 visited India in 2011, and since then, his romance with the sport has been seasonal until he took up this role in 2020. Reigniting F1's coverage on this site, Tanish has fallen in love with the sport all over again. He loves Kimi Raikkonen and sees a future world champion in Oscar Piastri. Away from us, he loves to snuggle inside his books.

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