AFP Sport selects five of Sebastian Vettel's best races following the German's announcement that he plans to retire from Formula One at the end of the season:
2010 ABU DHABI
-- Vettel arrived in Abu Dhabi on the back of a Brazil win that kept him in the fight for the world title, but only just. Brazil had cut his deficit to Fernando Alonso to 15 points, with Red Bull teammate Mark Webber seven ahead.
If the mountain was too tall to climb, no one told Vettel. After beating Lewis Hamilton to pole he managed to hold position into the first corner, and after plenty of pressure without results from the McLaren driver Vettel emerged from the only pit stop still leading.
Despite the size of the stakes, Vettel kept a cool head to take the chequered flag by over 10 seconds to pull off what trade magazine Autosport described as "one of the sport's great upsets".
His 10th win of the season made him at 23 years and 143 days the youngest world champion.
Looking back to Sebastian Vettel's wins in #F1 ??
— Sebastian Vettel Fan Page (@sebvettelnews) January 26, 2021
10th win: Yas Marina, Abu Dhabi 2010 ????
This was not just another win - it was the win that made Seb The Youngest F1 World Champion in history ??? pic.twitter.com/DVNz9SHiq0
2008 ITALIAN GRAND PRIX
-- Vettel's debut win was, as the driver himself said, "a miracle", achieved against all the odds. With the slowest car, the veteran of only 22 races defied tricky wet weather to silence Ferrari at Monza and secure Toro Rosso's first and last race win.
Vettel surpassed expectations by taking pole but the smart money was on his front row companion Heikki Kovalainen's McLaren proving too much for the 21-year-old to handle.
Despite a scare early on, when he briefly lost control, he had the measure of Kovalainen and then Lewis Hamilton in the second McLaren.
Aided by tyre strategy as a McLaren pit stop gamble failed, Vettel mastered Monza to cross the line over 10 seconds up on Kovalainen.
"Without Sebastian in the car this win would not have been possible," said Toro Rosso's technical director Giorgio Ascanelli.
sebastian vettel wins the italian grand prix in 2008 pic.twitter.com/ZNEaWDsvFD
— nav (@sebschickens) April 6, 2021
2013 INDIAN GRAND PRIX
-- This crushing near half a minute victory over Mercedes' Nico Rosberg was the work of a driver at the top of his game.
After an early pit stop left the pole sitter towards the rear of the pack he seamlessly and intelligently picked off the 16 cars ahead, choosing his moment to overtake in an unhurried, calculating manner.
By lap 21, he surged past Sergio Perez's McLaren to leave only his teammate Mark Webber in his Red Bull cross hairs.
With the Australian then pitting, Vettel was back where he'd started, leading the field for a win that secured him his fourth consecutive drivers' crown.
Sebastian Vettel after winning the Indian Grand Prix in the year 2013 (36th career victory), as well as clinching his 4th World Drivers’ Championship, with three races left in that championship season. pic.twitter.com/QBHlDU53MB
— nav (@sebschickens) May 19, 2021
2012 BRAZILIAN GRAND PRIX
-- Four corners in to the season-closer and Vettel's hopes of a third straight title looked to have been fatally damaged following a collision with Bruno Senna's Williams.
But just as Hamilton thrives on adversity, Vettel emerged from this setback with all guns blazing, refusing to accept relinquishing his drivers' crown. With his car repaired he rejoined as the tail ender with one lap gone.
He had surged up to sixth by lap eight, the position he was in at flag fall to deny Alonso the title by three points.
Today an #F1Rewind of one of the most dramatic title-deciding races and undoubtedly one of the greatest races of all time: the 2012 Brazilian Grand Prix. pic.twitter.com/sWnNxufpiE
— Taylor (@TPowling_) April 25, 2020
2015 MALAYSIAN GRAND PRIX
-- In only his second race since switching from Red Bull, Vettel got his first win for Ferrari on the board.
Delivering the Italian F1 giant's first success in the new hybrid era must have felt sweet after a trying final season with Red Bull.
Hamilton on pole had Vettel in his slipstream at the start but when both Mercedes pitted Vettel was left in control.
In contrast to this season when a series of questionable strategic decisions from the pitlane have derailed Ferrari's title push they outsmarted Mercedes with their new driver executing the plan to perfection.
Sadly for Vettel this encouraging start was not to be built on to deliver his dream of a world title for the Italian team.
#OTD Sebastian Vettel claimed his first win as a Ferrari driver, P1 at the 2015 #F1 Malaysian Grand Prix ahead of Lewis Hamilton pic.twitter.com/ZU6WTnq3DR
— PlanetF1 (@Planet_F1) March 29, 2022