Sebastian Vettel reminisces the day the BMW-Sauber team gave him immediate clearance to shift to Red Bull Racing’s sister team Toro Rosso as this is the place where he made a name for himself. While the German drove for the BMW team for more than a year, he established himself when he moved to Toro Rosso.
Although Vettel was just a 20-year-old when he moved to Toro Rosso, former F1 driver Gerhard Berger was confident that the German would succeed immediately. Regarding Vettel’s move to Toro Rosso from BMW, Berger said at the time, “He’s an extremely intelligent and committed driver who has already had a taste of F1 experience at BMW. Therefore, he’s the ideal man for us“.
After moving to Toro Rosso back in 2007, Vettel made his first appearance for the team at the Hungarian GP, replacing America’s Scott Speed. He featured in seven races for the team that year and scored five points to take his tally to six for the season (one point with BMW).
Sebastian Vettel had immediate success with Toro Rosso
It did not take long for Sebastian Vettel to settle down in the Red Bull family as he impressed his bosses from the day he stepped in the Toro Rosso car. In his first full season with Toro Rosso in 2008, the German not only finished eighth in the Drivers’ Championship but also scripted two records that stand today.
At the age of just 21 years and 72 days, he became the youngest F1 driver in history to register a pole position at the 2008 Italian Grand Prix. He followed that up with the race win a day after also becoming the youngest driver in history to register the double (pole position and a win at the same race).
While Vettel’s Italian GP win also helped him become the youngest driver to win an F1 race at the time, Max Verstappen eventually broke that record in 2016. At the age of just 18 years and 228 days, the Dutchman became the youngest driver to win an F1 race when he clinched victory at the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix.
Vettel went on to win four world titles with the Red Bull family
After impressing with Toro Rosso in 2007 and 2008, Red Bull promoted him to the senior team in 2009. And anyone who believed that the young German would succumb under pressure was proved wrong in no time.
Vettel kickstarted his first full season by winning the second race of the campaign in China before clinching victories at three other races. Consequently, with such fantastic results, he finished second in the championship behind Jenson Button.
Vettel carried this form over to the next season as he clinched five victories in 2010 to become the youngest world champion in history at just 23 years and 133 days. This was only the start of the German’s dominance as he also went on to win the world championship in 2011, 2012, and 2013 to complete an outstanding quadruple.
While the 35-year-old did not manage to win any other world championship after 2013, he had already done more than enough to cement his name in the history books. Because of how quick and tenacious Vettel was, many young drivers, such as Mick Schumacher, have grown up idolizing him.
