The big victim of the 'Multi-21' affair has been Sebastian Vettel's image. Previously the British humour-cracking and Beatles-loving 'Mr Nice Guy', the triple world champion's reputation has come crashing down after ignoring team orders in Malaysia and then declaring Mark Webber didn't "deserve" to be left in the lead. "He (Vettel) seems like an easy-going character," Jenson Button said in China on Thursday. "It's surprising for him to say that."
John Watson, a former McLaren driver, said he was also surprised by Vettel's furrowed-brow outbursts on Thursday. "He apologised profusely in Malaysia and now he's gone back on it," he told the Telegraph. "It's as though Bambi has turned into a werewolf."
Some F1 purists are fond of ruthless, win-at-all-costs greats, but Watson said Vettel's nastiness has been unseemly. "I've tried to lead my life with certain values in place and the way Vettel has behaved makes me think 'I don't like you'," the Briton admitted.
Similarly, Fernando Alonso has never shied away from a fight and is regarded as perhaps F1's toughest character, but he insists that even ruthlessness has its limits. "Casillas is employed by Real Madrid to keep the goals," he told Spanish reporters in China. "He can't just play striker if he wants to."
Former driver and German-language commentator Marc Surer said the Vettel saga is simply an illustration that nice guys don't win. "It's unfortunate that a nice driver cannot be world champion," he is quoted by SID news agency. "The only exception is Jenson Button. Otherwise, all of them have such strong egos, pursuing their goals without regard for others." (GMM)
'Bambi' Vettel has turned into a werewolf - Watson
- Published on 12 Apr 2013 13:51
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- By: Rob Veenstra
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Formula 1 Calendar - 2026
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Formula 1 Calendar - 2026
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Driver profile
- Team Aston Martin
- Points 631
- Podiums 9
- Grand Prix 204
- Country ES
- Date of b. Jul 29 1981 (45)
- Place of b. Oviedo, ES
- Weight 68 kg
- Length 1.71 m
- 188,072 comments on Aston Martin
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Team profile
- Team name McLaren
- Base Woking, United Kingdom
- Jenson Button 1
- Lewis Hamilton 1
- Fernando Alonso 1
- Niki Lauda 1
- Stoffel Vandoorne 2
- Lewis Hamilton 2
- Lewis Hamilton 2
- Gerhard Berger 2
- Daniel Ricciardo 3
- Jenson Button 3
- Lewis Hamilton 3
- Kimi Räikkönen 3
- Mika Häkkinen 3
- Lando Norris 4
- Lewis Hamilton 4
- Jenson Button 4
- Kimi Räikkönen 4
- Jenson Button 5
- Sergio Perez 6
- Kimi Räikkönen 6
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- Niki Lauda 8
- Alain Prost 8
- Kimi Räikkönen 9
- Fernando Alonso 14
- Kevin Magnussen 20
- Jenson Button 22
- Lewis Hamilton 22
- Gerhard Berger 28
- Stoffel Vandoorne 47
- Carlos Sainz jr 55
- Oscar Piastri 81
- 306,961 comments on McLaren
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