Sebastian Vettel became the youngest driver to take pole position for a Grand Prix yesterday and today he became the youngest ever Grand Prix winner.
Vettel won the Italian Grand Prix with a stunning drive in a race that saw the full spectrum of weather conditions. At 21 years and 74 days ago he beats the previous record of 22 years and 26 days set by Fernando Alonso in the 2003 Hungarian Grand Prix.
Vettel also scored the first victory for Toro Rosso, the team formed by Red Bull in 2006, though the Red Bull team is yet to win a race itself. Toro Rosso never won a race or achieved a podium finish in its former guide, Minardi.
Vettel is the first German driver to win a Grand Prix since Michael Schumacher. Afterwards Vettel said: “This is the best day of my life.”
Vettel is the 101st driver to win a Grand Prix, and joins Robert Kubica (99) and Heikki Kovalainen (100) as this year’s maiden winners. Appropriately, Kovalainen finished second and Kubica was third, so the newest winners filled the podium.
Read more about the first 100 F1 race winners: 100 F1 race winners (11-part series)
JOJO
14th September 2008, 14:49
Most hearty congratulations to Vettel! Fantastic race overall.
Eric M.
14th September 2008, 14:49
What an amazing race! Brilliant drive by Vettal!
Eric M.
14th September 2008, 14:52
Bah! I meant “Vettel”
Luke
14th September 2008, 14:53
well done. well deserved.
Lustigson
14th September 2008, 14:56
Brilliant drive by Vettel, excellent guidance by the team throughout the race, perfect call on the 2nd stop, well-deserved.
Go Minardi!
By the way, this race shows that customer cars work. I wonder if the FIA will review the issue. But that’s off-topic for now.
Rui
14th September 2008, 14:56
Amazing race from Vettel ( i couldn’t stop but thinking about the 2nd place from Senna in Monaco with the Toleman in 1984).
Congrats Vettel!
aa
14th September 2008, 15:01
Congratulations Vettel. You made my day making the Germany anthem and italian afterwards, nice memories… New Schumacher? Indeed ;)
beneboy
14th September 2008, 15:04
A great drive and a fully deserved win for Vettel.
It’s always nice to see a maiden victory and in Vettel we’ve got a talented driver who enjoys racing & even likes talking to the press.
Paige
14th September 2008, 15:06
Didn’t the combination of the German and Italian national anthems sound a bit familiar? I’m thinking it’s not going to be the last time we hear it in Sebastian Vettel’s career.
Great drive by him today. Brilliant call by Toro Rosso for the weekend to bring a higher downforce package in anticipation of rain. Just a tremendous effort in total by that team this weekend. They’ve got plenty of talent on the team, for sure, and I’m sure they’ll have no problem with finances going forward. Me thinks it won’t be long until they are constructing their own chassis and aerodynamic package, and perhaps they could be a candidate to enter into partnership with a manufacturer.
Anyone think Vettel is having second thoughts about going to the other team next season? STR has surely outperformed Red Bull over the last three races, and even four of the last five if you count Hockenheim. They’ve really stepped up their program.
paul
28th August 2015, 12:33
Next time German and Italian national anthems are played on March 29th, 2015. Malaysian GP, Vettel wins for Ferrari.
Kilwa
14th September 2008, 15:07
Great Race by Vettel .
Interesting statics:
The youngest winner ever, Vettel
The youngest podium couple ever
All three at the podium today have won their first race this year
beneboy
14th September 2008, 15:09
I’ve been wondering if Red Bull may try to get some Ferrari engines for their cars next year.
Don’t know what the contractual situation is with Renault but it wouldn’t be the first time we’ve seen contracts thrown away in F1.
R Shcherban
14th September 2008, 15:09
Great race for Vettel and Toro Rosso!
beneboy
14th September 2008, 15:10
Good call Kilwa,
There’s been quite a lot of winners this season too.
Ninad
14th September 2008, 15:11
Vettel is certainly one of the best drivers in Formula 1. Brilliant drive by him.
ajokay
14th September 2008, 15:16
That was absolutely stunning. Seb V didn’t put a foot wrong all race, and I just feel so sorry for Seb B. Having seen his inverview after the Spa race just before the start of this race, I felt so sorry for the guy, and he’s trying his hardest.
He was setting some great times and you have to wonder if it could have been 2 Toro Rossos on the podium if his car hadn’t have stalled. I hope the team keep him on for ’09.
The podium was great too, F1’s 3 newest race winners, all with their first (and only) wins this year. A nod to the future I feel.
Lustigson
14th September 2008, 15:17
@ Kilwa
> The youngest podium couple ever
That was my thought as well. Great stuff! These are the boys of whom we’ll see much more the coming decade, I believe.
Lustigson
14th September 2008, 15:21
O, and the first time an Italian team other than Ferrari win a Grand Prix since Benetton in 1997… which was in fact with Gerhard Berger!
Daniel
14th September 2008, 15:42
Now Vettel must have washed away any dark memory remaining about Fuji 2007. He deserved the win, drove a masterful race and proved wrong the few people (me included) that still didn’t believe he is WDC material…
Gman
14th September 2008, 15:49
Very good drive by Vettel today and a well-deserved win- I know I join many of you in saying that we will see him back on the top of the podium many times in the years ahead. In my view, perhaps the best attribute Vettel showed in the whole thing actually came after the race- I think he gave the best post-race interview of any driver who has been on the podium this season.
Smitty
14th September 2008, 15:51
An absolutely amazing drive from Vettel. He didn’t luck into the victory by chance or attration, but by merit alone. In my opinion, the drive of the season.
With these performances, STR should do okay when Red Bull finally sells the team – especially now that their contract for Ferrari engines has been extended.
Such a shame to see Boudrais stall the car, with his pace today, he could have been on the podium as well, possibly even a second place. He has certainly earned his place in the team next year, and he deserved more from this race.
I have a feeling that we haven’t seen the last from STR yet, with a possibly wet Singapore, Shanghai and Fuji coming up, more surprise result from the little Italian team could come.
Sumedh
14th September 2008, 15:58
Keith, could you tell when it happened last when there were 3 new winners in a same season.?
Also 6 winners this season; 2003 had 7. Which other years had more race winners?
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
14th September 2008, 16:00
Sumedh – I’ll take a look for tomorrow’s stats round-up, thanks for the suggestion.
Sumedh
14th September 2008, 16:04
Paige,
yaa.. the german-italian combo reminded of schumi sooo much..
I think Baby schumi has arrived.. Vettel has lived up to all his pre-season hype. Brilliantly groomed by Gerhard Begrer and Red Bull; He deserves this win fully. Unlike Kubika’s and Heikki’s wins.. this was not pure luck..
Brar
14th September 2008, 16:08
Vettel made something atonishing.
Even Schumacher didn´t have the luck to made something like this. This presentation is the only that might remember to that one of Senna at Monaco with Tolemann.
Robert McKay
14th September 2008, 16:11
“Unlike Kubika’s and Heikki’s wins.. this was not pure luck..”
Yes, there’s the key thing. This wasn’t a race where Vettel started, say, 11th, and lucked in with SC’s and accidents and the Hamiltons and Raikkonens etc. screwing up in front of him. Vettel dominated this race from start to finish. We were slightly robbed perhaps of seeing him go toe to toe with Hamilton had the inters not come into play, which would have been great to see, but this was indeed a thoroughly deserved victory.
Hammer time
14th September 2008, 16:14
I cannot believe it, i am so happy, i had to endure czech ‘NOVA’ television coverage as i’m on vacation and they are even worse than ITV. Vettel won, baby schumacher!!! i am so happy, such a contrast to the debacle that was the spa result…
todd
14th September 2008, 16:26
wow, vettel fantastic, dominated all weekend, can’t feel enough joy for him and the team. awesome result.
hamilton was really turning it up there – if they didn’t chose the wrong tires in the pit stop it would have been a lot better…
interesting that massa gave back the position on a perfectly legitimate overtaking manovure. it was the same racing line over the corners that hamilton took all weekend…
hamilton took a few dodgy corners, really pushing the limits of the rules and tempting the FIA, dont see why he has to do it.
Sassan
14th September 2008, 16:26
Bravo Vettel. Victory of a champion!
Lustigson
14th September 2008, 16:31
@ Sumedh
> … when it happened last when there were 3 new winners in a same season?
Not to spoil Keiths party, but it was 2003, with Räikkönen, Fisichella and Alonso.
theRoswellite
14th September 2008, 16:44
Sumedth & Keith:
1982 is still tops in the multiple winnings category.
11 different winners: (in the order they first won)
Prost (1), South Africa
Piquet (2) Brazil, Montreal
Lauda, (2) Long Beach, Brands Hatch
Pironi, (2) Imola, Zandvort
Watson, (2) Zolder, Detroit
Patrese, (1) Monaco
Arnoux, (2) Paul Ricard, Monza
Tambay, (1) Hockenheim
de Angelis, (1) Osterreichring
Rosberg, (1) Dijon (Swiss)
Alboreto, (1)Caesars Palace
Strangely, Rosberg wins the championship with only one win, and the loss of Villeneuve at Zolder dominated the emotional landscape for years.
(sorry about any miss-spellings…this is off the top of my head…the list has been taped to a wall for months as a kind of memory exercise, and I just recently threw it away. Hope these are close…..things are a little slow where I live)
Sumedh
14th September 2008, 16:50
theRosewellite
I knew 1982 will definitely figure into that list. Mann, that has to be the weirdest season in Formula 1. The Monaco GP 1982 is still said to be the craziest ever.And about 7-8 drivers were in the running for the win till the last 2 GPs. Wish I could have followed that season live..
ScuderiaToroFerrari4Eva
14th September 2008, 16:54
I told you i told you VETTEL SBEASTIEN VETTEL and TORO ROSSO = THE BEST GOD WAT A PERFORMANCE SO COOL AND CALM DIDNT DO ANYTHING WRONG JUST LED THE WAY TORO ROSSO TO GET 4TH IN CONSTRUCTORS VETTEL WILL REGRET GOIN TO RED BULL AFTER SEEING WAT THIS STR3 CAN DO WITH THAT FERRARI DONKEY IN THE BACK
Top Gear
14th September 2008, 17:26
Great race by Vettel and STR. He’s been an impressive driver since his debut and let’s hope we hear more from him. Meanwhile, it was pretty neat to see all three first time winners on the podium together ~ a precursor for the future?
Fascinating, though, watching Kimi & his Ferrari struggle while Lewis and the McLaren took off. Times like that make you want to stop the race, exchange cars, and see how much of a difference comes about. Cheers to Vettel.
Oliver
14th September 2008, 18:00
Todd,
I think Massa gave the position back as it was on that very kerb he did the over taking, whereas in Hamilton’s situation, it was on the previous Kerb he over took, then took the second one as normal.
Great win from Vettel. Amazing drive. But STR are not the minnows any longer, they now have one of the best car, engine combination right now.
Becken
14th September 2008, 18:58
What a season, what a race, what a win from Vettel.
I think we are in the middle of a “Baby Boom” in F1. The best generation of young drivers in decades…
ajokay
14th September 2008, 19:39
I wonder how long it’ll be before we see a teenager winning an F1 race?
Sri
14th September 2008, 20:30
@ todd:
“Hamilton took a few dodgy corners, really pushing the limits of the rules and tempting the FIA, dont see why he has to do it.”
I’ll hazard a guess and say, “he does so, to give us an opportunity to bash FIA!!!” :P
theRoswellite
14th September 2008, 22:04
I guess there is still room at the table for talent.
Since 1985…Minardi…fighting the good fight, well in my scoring book they won today. Plenty of congratulations all round!
Pink Peril
15th September 2008, 0:04
Absolutely stunning drive from Der Seb, and a thoroughly deserved victory.
What a race ! I was expecting a bit of carnage, but it was a good clean fight between all concerned with lots of overtaking.
I seem to have my mojo back about Singapore ;)
DG
15th September 2008, 8:07
This is what I was hoping to see more of this season, the New Generation soundly beating the old hands! Well done Sebastian! Well done STR!!