Latest news with #SebastianVettel
Top Gear
14-05-2025
- Automotive
- Top Gear
F1 in numbers: 15 big important stats to impress/repel all your friends
Formula One Repeat these interesting facts and figures covering 75 years of F1 to definitely make you look cool Skip 7 photos in the image carousel and continue reading At 3pm on 13 May 1950, the very first Formula One World Championship commenced at Silverstone, UK. It was part of a seven-race season, a far cry from the 24-race slog of today. And from humble beginnings it's come a long way, from its hay-bales-scattered-around-Silverstone days to memetastic, global phenomenon. Advertisement - Page continues below A global phenomenon that likes a good stat. Here are 15 good ones to impress/repel your friends with. Because nothing screams 'F1 fan incoming' than reciting how many races have been held since 1950. Speaking of which... You might like Total number of races (including the Indianapolis 500 races which were part of the World Championships from 1950 until 1960). That's a lot of Sunday afternoon napping, arf arf 787 Number of drivers that have started a Grand Prix, from 41 countries, with 151 of the total represented from the US, 148 from the UK, and 85 from Italy Advertisement - Page continues below Different Drivers' World Champions, the youngest Sebastian Vettel aged 23 years, four months and 11 days in 2010, and the oldest Juan Manuel Fangio aged 46 years, one month and 11 days in 1957 115 Different Grand Prix winners. Sadly, none of those were Taki Inoue, Top Gear hero and the self-proclaimed worst driver in Grand Prix history 216 Podium finishers. Nope, no Taki here either, though he comfortably makes the grade when it comes to our top three favourite drivers though, and that's what matters 107 Different polesitters. Lewis Hamilton holds the record for the most pole positions, having qualified first on 104 occasions, followed by Michael Schumacher in second with 68, and Ayrton Senna in third with 65 Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Look out for your regular round-up of news, reviews and offers in your inbox. Get all the latest news, reviews and exclusives, direct to your inbox. Circuits raced at across 34 countries. Monza has hosted the most races with 74, followed by Monaco with 70, and Silverstone with 59 11 Circuits that appeared only once on the F1 calendar, including such hits as Casablanca! Berlin! Dallas! Donington, Le Mans, Monsanto, Mugello, Pescara, Riverside, Sebring and Zeltweg make up the others. No doubt there are current tracks you wish were on this list 363,956.169 Kilometres driven since the 1950 British Grand Prix (through to the 2025 Miami Grand Prix), equivalent to nine times around the Earth. Quickly round it, of course. Unless you're - that's right! - Taki Inoue 18 Years, seven months and 15 days. The age Max Verstappen was when he became the youngest driver to ever win a race at the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix. Heck, we hadn't even passed our driving test 407 Race starts makes Fernando Alonso the longest serving driver in history, having made his debut back at the 2001 Australian Grand Prix… some 24 years and two months prior 105 Record number of wins, held by Lewis Hamilton. He's followed by Michael Schumacher with 91, and Max Verstappen who is fast catching up on 64 Seven Joint record number of Driver Championships, held by Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher. On current form, could be a while (if ever) before Hamilton gets number eight Nine Record number of wins from a driver at one circuit, which is Lewis Hamilton at Silverstone. He also holds the record for the most podiums from a single driver at one circuit, claiming 15 at Silverstone. Oh how he must wish every race was there Eight Years, 11 days and six months. The longest gap between two pole positions, set by Kimi Räikkönen, from the 2008 French Grand Prix until the 2017 Monaco Grand Prix
The Independent
14-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Independent
Kimi Antonelli's F1 ascension appears a masterstroke – have Mercedes found their answer to Max Verstappen?
Last summer, just before Kimi Antonelli was announced as Lewis Hamilton's replacement at Mercedes, a video of the Italian teenager went viral on social media. Reposted by thousands, it gave a sparkling insight into the driver tipped to be the next big thing in Formula 1. In conversation with his engineers at F2 team Prema, Antonelli is asked to recall a host of qualifying lap times from his past few years of racing. This, those present stated, was Antonelli's biggest talent; not his lightning speed behind the wheel but his meticulous motorsport memory bank. Lo and behold, Antonelli reeled off an array of lap times with precise accuracy. F2 teammate Ollie Bearman, now at Haas, could only watch on and laugh in disbelief. It is a fascinating insight into Antonelli, the 18-year-old hotshot whom Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has risked his post-Hamilton legacy on. A teenager whose mental fortitude is perhaps more impressive than his undoubted raw pace in a racing car. So far, six races in, Wolff's gamble to replace one of the greatest ever with an untried rookie looks like a masterstroke. Antonelli has already broken records: the youngest-driver to score points, after a sumptuous recovery drive from 16th to fourth in the season-opening rain in Melbourne. And after his surprise pole position for the sprint race at the last round in Miami, he became the youngest-driver to ever record a pole position in any F1 format. Sebastian Vettel, the previous record holder, was three years older at 21. Released with exquisite timing, one day after the Miami Gand Prix, Antonelli's ascension to Formula One has been chronicled in a new 45-minute documentary on Netflix, titled 'The Seat.' Made in partnership with Mercedes sponsor WhatsApp, it gives a quickfire behind-the-scenes glance at Wolff's reaction to Hamilton's exit and how Antonelli – ahead of the likes of Carlos Sainz and Max Verstappen – quickly sprinted to the front of Wolff's thinking in filling the spot next to George Russell this season. Since signing for Mercedes at the age of 12, the boy from Bologna has been hailed as a prodigy. Archival footage in the documentary shows Antonelli, whose father Marco also raced domestically, romping to victory in the top-tier of go-karting in 2018, aged just 12. Having won FRECA in 2023 – the de facto European F4 championship – he skipped F3 last year and jumped straight to F2, finishing sixth and winning two races. But as The Seat highlights, his most valuable time on track last year came in testing previous Mercedes F1 cars at venues such as Silverstone, Austria and Jerez. With Hamilton's ex-engineer Peter 'Bono' Bonnington the guide in his ear, Antonelli was given 5,600 miles (roughly 30 full F1 races) to prepare for the biggest challenge of his life. All this, before he'd even passed his road driving test in Italy, which he ticked off in January. These stats have not been lost on experts this year, in light of Liam Lawson's rapid two-race demotion at Red Bull, in charting how invaluable Mercedes's thorough planning has been in adjusting Antonelli to the Formula 1 circus. There has, we should not forget, been one hiccup. His F1 debut in Monza last September, one day before official confirmation of his 2025 pick, ended after just 10 minutes in practice. In his first lap, he set the timing sheets alight. At the end of his second flying lap, he spun and smashed the car into the wall at Parabolica corner. 'That day, I let down my whole family,' Antonelli said in The Seat. 'My dad was not happy with me. I cried as well, just didn't want to see anyone. Just wanted to go home.' It was an unforgiving lesson into the fine margins between risk and reward in F1. This weekend, Antonelli returns home to Italy's other stop on the calendar. After a whistlestop six-race opening to the 2025 season, covering three continents, F1 starts its traditional European summer season in Imola, for a race which is likely to be the last at this old-school circuit in Emilia-Romagna. Yet while the majority of spectators will be donning the scarlet red of Ferrari, they will be in an unusual position of having a local star to support too. Antonelli is the first Italian F1 driver since Antonio Giovanazzi departed in 2021. More astonishingly, no Italian driver has won an F1 race since Giancarlo Fisichella in 2006. Antonelli's opening stint – five top-10 finishes from six grands prix, sixth in the world championship ahead of Ferrari's Hamilton – has impressed onlookers in the paddock. His charming post-race interviews, conducted in both his native Italian and excellent grasp of English, have also warmed him to the sport's faithful. Wrapped in black-and-silver overalls, the future looks bright. Mercedes technical director James Allison spoke for the whole team in The Seat when describing Antonelli as 'precious and special.' What would represent a successful rookie campaign for Antonelli? No championship standing goals; simply keeping in touch with Russell, in his fourth year at Mercedes, round by round. Wolff has already insisted it is a year for learning, as Antonelli lays the groundwork for what is tipped to be a long and successful career. But Miami, a circuit he had never driven at before, gave a tantalising teaser into Antonelli's potential. His pole-setting lap was stunning; his drop from first to fourth after turn one in the subsequent sprint a sign that race-craft can only come with experience. Yet Antonelli is wise beyond his years and, some might say, this decade's answer to Verstappen in the 2010s. The comparisons, given their rapid teenage debuts, are obvious. Wolff has also made no secret of his regret at not signing the Dutch star as a teenager, when Red Bull beat him to the post. Whether Antonelli can fulfil his potential in the manner of Verstappen in recent years is another question. Mercedes are rumoured, at this early stage, to be the frontrunners for 2026, amid new engine and chassis regulations. Could Antonelli really be a title contender next year? Vettel's record as the youngest F1 title-holder stands at 23 years of age; Antonelli has until 2029 to better that line in the sand. Yet at this stage, talk of world championships is far-fetched. A podium will be Antonelli's first target, and what better place than Imola, 25 miles from home, this weekend. But no matter what lies ahead on the journey, at least we know the numerical whiz himself will be on top of all his statistics along the way.
Time of India
12-05-2025
- Automotive
- Time of India
'It would be nice if he gets a second chance in Cadillac': Sebastian Vettel supports Mick Schumacher for possible 2026 Cadillac F1 seat
Mick Schumacher (via Getty Images) As Cadillac prepares for its much-awaited Formula 1 debut in 2026, there is growing momentum behind one candidate above all others to land one of its race seats—Mick Schumacher. Among his most high-profile backers is four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel , who asserts the German driver deserves a second chance in the sport. Mick Schumacher gets support from Sebastian Vettel for Cadillac opportunity SCHUMACHER FAZ REUNIÕES COM A CADILLAC EM MIAMI E ENTRA NA BRIGA POR VAGA | FÓRMULA 1 | GP EM CASA+ Sebastian Vettel, one of the most esteemed voices in Formula 1, has been a public supporter of Mick Schumacher returning to the grid with Cadillac. Interviewed by Vettel expressed, 'I'm keeping my fingers crossed that he gets another chance because I believe he can absolutely keep up with the others. He is much more mature. And I think he's doing a very good job at Alpine in the World Endurance Championship . It would be nice if he gets a second chance in the Cadillac. We are obviously in contact and I also heard how things ended for him in Formula 1. I wish him the best.' Mick Schumacher is presently racing for Alpine in the World Endurance Championship and is currently the reserve driver for Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team. Although he has been passed over by Alpine for a 2025 F1 drive—lost to Jack Doohan—there is still optimism. Cadillac has choice between potential and experience for 2026 driver lineup When Alpine came to choose a 2025 F1 driver, they chose Australian talent Jack Doohan , leaving Schumacher still waiting for a second chance. For Cadillac, the choice will be risk versus reward. Paper-wise, both Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas offer immense experience and proven pace, so they're safer picks to helm a new F1 venture. However, with Schumacher's age, lineage, and newfound maturity, he can be the long-term gamble Cadillac might need. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like In Cannock, senior women are loving these sandals Sandals Trend Undo Also read: Mick Schumacher is on the verge of F1 comeback in 2026 after being 'shortlisted' by a surprise new team As General Motors ' Cadillac prepares for its Formula 1 debut, the team's driver decision could set its initial course. Strong backing from icons such as Sebastian Vettel and Bernie Ecclestone keeps Mick Schumacher firmly in play. Whether experience or raw talent is what Cadillac decides on, one thing is certain: the F1 paddock is looking on.
Scottish Sun
30-04-2025
- Automotive
- Scottish Sun
Four-time F1 world champion, 37, reveals he is ‘not allowed to race anymore'
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) SEBASTIAN VETTEL is no longer allowed to race - under instruction from his kids. The former professional driver won the Formula 1 Championship four times between 2010-2013. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 Sebastian Vettel has been told by his kids not to return to racing He quit F1 in 2022 after racing with Aston Martin for two years, finishing 12th both seasons. Vettel, 37, admits he is happy in retirement and even if he wanted to make a return, he has been told he is not allowed to - by his children. He told Sky Sports Germany F1: "My kids told me I'm not allowed to race anymore because they like me so much. "It's wonderful to hear that. READ MORE IN F1 F1 STAR HIT Moment thief makes off with Jenson Button's wife's suitcase containing £250k "Family harmony still exists. I've learned a lot about myself during this time. I'm very content, and I don't get bored." Vettel has three children with his wife Hanna Prater - daughters Emilie, 11 and Mathilda, 9, and a son. The German, who raced for Red Bull for six years, now works for the organisation in Saudi Arabia where he teaches girls Go-Karting as part of the Race4Women event. However his long-term future could lie in F1, potentially in a role with Red Bull as an advisor, succeeding Helmut Marko. BEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERS Marko said of Vettel and his own future at Red Bull: "No decision has been made yet, but it's also quite clear: At some point, it won't be possible anymore—also due to age. "It would be great if someone like Sebastian Vettel would take over. 'People can't handle the truth' - Verstappen FUMES after being given five-second penalty and takes swipe at F1 bosses "On the one hand, there's the junior program. He's already working with girls in go-karting in Saudi Arabia. "And the other is the larger, strategic direction of a Formula 1 team. I think Sebastian has found himself and now knows what he wants to do in the future—and that's primarily motorsport." Responding to the rumours, Vettel said: "We're still working out what it could look like. But I don't want to impose myself."
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Vettel: My children are against me making F1 racing comeback
Sebastian Vettel says a return to Formula One as a driver is no longer an option, especially because of a request by his children. "The kids have also said I can't start driving again because it's so nice that I'm at home. That's, of course, wonderful to hear," the German four-time world champion told a Sky Sport podcast. Advertisement Vettel, who has three children and lives in Switzerland, ended his F1 career after the 2022 season and has since been involved in social projects. The 37-year-old said he is not yet getting on the nerves of his loved ones at home. "Family harmony still exists," Vettel said. "I've learned a lot about myself during this time. I'm very content, and I don't get bored." Vettel, who is even training to become a farmer, has been linked with replacing Red Bull motorsport adviser Helmut Marko, 82. Austrian Marko, a close confidant of Vettel, recently named the German as a potential successor at the team where he won his four titles. Advertisement "Whether that will happen in the future remains to be seen," Vettel said, with his children's wish that he stays home ringing in his ears. Additionally, the former Ferrari driver is in discussions with Formula One chief executive Stefano Domenicali about a possible position in the leadership of the racing series. "We're still working out what it could look like. But I don't want to impose myself," Vettel said.
