“Sebastian Vettel sent a letter asking for sponsorship”- Christian Horner reveals what made Red Bull sign future 4-time World Champion

Four-time World Champion Sebastian Vettel announced that he would be retiring from F1 at the end of the 2022 season. 

Over the last few years, Vettel has not been a challenger for wins and podiums. His last race win came back in 2019 when he won the Singapore GP. In 2020, he spent a disastrous last season with Ferrari after which he moved to Aston Martin.

There, many expected him to do well, especially because the Silverstone-based team was tipped to make big strides in the short term. It hasn’t been the case, and Vettel has spent the last two seasons fighting for very small points.

Vettel’s best part of his career was with Red Bull. There, he established himself as an all-time great, winning 4 consecutive World Titles between 2010 and 2013. To this date, he remains Red Bull’s most successful F1 driver of all time.

Now that he has announced his retirement, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner looks back on all the great moments spent together with Vettel.

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Sebastian Vettel was different from everyone else at Red Bull, says Christian Horner

In an interview with Channel 4, Horner revealed how Vettel approached Red Bull with just a letter. The Milton-Keynes-based team was looking for a replacement for David Coulthard.

“I think back to the time that he did with us,” Horner said. “He arrived as a 13-year-old. He got introduced to Red Bull by writing a letter asking for sponsorship.”

“His first deal was a crash helmet from Red Bull. Then the journey from there through the junior team, into Toro Rosso and then Red Bull Racing and those four World Championships.”

“They are unforgettable memories, and he was such a big part of our team. It’ll be sad to see him hanging his helmet up.”

Over the last few years, Vettel has become one of the most outspoken figures within the sport, when it comes to highlighting social issues. Horner admitted that this was a quality Vettel had even in his young days.

“There’s a lot more to Seb than meets the eye,” Horner continued. “What we saw in him was that he’s got a great sense of humor. He’s a deep, deep thinker, with a huge work ethic.”

“You could see his passion for other things growing as well. He feels very strongly about all the things that he’s representing, which I think is great to see, and he’s been a great ambassador.”

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