Great Read: Vettel's extraordinary F1 career

The highs and the lows  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ View in browser View in browser ARTICLES MAGAZINE SHOP DATABASE SHOP ARCHIVE Sebastian Vettel's extraordinary F1 career – the highs and the lows August 2022 | Tony Dodgins Sebastian Vettel became Formula 1's youngest-ever grand prix winner on this day in 2008 at Monza. The record would fall a few years later, but his career had some way to go. In today's Great Read, written towards the end of his final F1 season, we reflect on how high he soared - and the struggle that followed. The Formula 1 paddock is greatly the poorer for the loss of Sebastian Vettel. You kind of feared it might happen, but hoped it wouldn’t. When a youthful-looking Vettel debuted at Indianapolis in 2007, substituting for Robert Kubica at BMW after the Pole’s huge shunt at the previous race in Canada, you knew you were watching an emerging talent. But not a four-time world champion just six seasons down the road! READ MORE F1 Mark Hughes Too fast to win. How Norris lost Spanish GP to slow-driving Antonelli Fast enough to build an unassailable lead, Lando Norris was too quick to catch the VSC pit window. And so his flawless F1 Madring weekend ended cruelly, as even the winner acknowledged, Mark Hughes says. READ MORE F1 Pablo Elizalde The worst F1 race of 2026 - why Madring got it so wrong Madring promised spectacle and delivered a procession, as the new Spanish GP venue exposed just how little racing today's Formula 1 cars and track designs actually allow. READ MORE F1 Pablo Elizalde The worst F1 race of 2026 - why Madring got it so wrong Madring promised spectacle and delivered a procession, as the new Spanish GP venue exposed just how little racing today's Formula 1 cars and track designs actually allow. READ MORE FROM OUR OCTOBER 2026 ISSUE Alex Wurz: 'I was proper quick but overweight Benetton damaged my reputation' Matt Bishop From a BMX world title to racing for Benetton in Formula 1 and winning Le Mans: Alex Wurz reflects on a career where he proved adaptable in the cockpit and outside, as chairman of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association, safety pioneer and now track designer                      There are some drivers whose contribution to motor sport stretches so far beyond the cockpit that any attempt to define them solely by their race results feels hopelessly inadequate. Alex Wurz belongs emphatically in the latter category. He was and/or is: a BMX champion at 12; a Le Mans winner at 22; a Formula 1 podium finisher for Benetton, McLaren and Williams; one of the most respected test and development drivers of his generation; a businessman; a circuit designer; a road safety pioneer; a TV commentator; a chairman of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association; a team management consultant; and a driver mentor. He is now 52, and over the past four decades he has immersed himself in every conceivable facet of the sport. SUBSCRIBE FOR FULL ACCESS READ MORE F1 Pablo Elizalde F1's youngest-ever race winners: where does Kimi Antonelli sit in the top 10? From Robert Kubica to Kimi Antonelli and Max Verstappen, these are the 10 youngest grand prix winners in Formula 1 history READ MORE Motor Sport Branded Explore our best-selling products, specially selected for Motor Sport enthusiasts like you. Racing Green Motor Sport Binder BUY NOW 2026 Diary Motor Sport BUY NOW Coasters Motor Sport BUY NOW Le Mans Winners' Cars Motor Sport Poster BUY NOW Flask Bottle Motor Sport BUY NOW Laptop Bag Motor Sport BUY NOW Update your content preferences UPDATE NOW Connect with us We now accept © 2025 Motor Sport Magazine, All rights reserved. Motor Sport Magazine, 18-20 Rosemont Road, London, NW3 6NE. © 2025 Motor Sport Magazine, All rights reserved. Motor Sport Magazine,  18-20 Rosemont Road, London, NW3 6NE. Unsubscribe  |  Privacy Policy