0
On this day in 2008, Sebastian Vettel won his first Grand Prix.
Driving for Toro Rosso, which just three years earlier was the popular but unsuccessful Minardi team, Vettel had clinched a shock pole position in the rain the day before, beating Heikki Kovalainen and future team mate Mark Webber and becoming the youngest pole sitter in history in the process.
Heavy rain on race day meant that the race was started behind the safety car. When the race got underway fro real, Vettel wasn't challenged out in front, eventually winning by 12.5 seconds over Kovalainen. One stop strategies saw Robert Kubica and Fernando Alonso move up the field to take third and fourth respectively, while Nick Heidfeld completed the top five.
By finishing one place ahead of Lewis Hamilton in sixth place, Felipe Massa was able to narrow the Brit's championship lead with just four races remaining, but Kovalainen's second place finish along with his compatriot Kimi Raikkonen's non-score allowed McLaren to close the gap to Ferrari in the constructors' championship.
At 21 years and 73 days old, Sebastian Vettel became the youngest Grand Prix winner, a record that stood until this year when fellow Red Bull Junior Team alumni Max Verstappen won in Spain aged just 18 years and 228 days old. However, he remains the youngest driver to claim pole position.
A year later he would become the youngest driver to finish runner-up in the championship and two years later he would go on to become the sport's youngest world champion, his first triumph in a run that would see him win four titles.
#OnThisDay, #ItalianGP 2008: Sebastian #Vettel won his first GP, at the wheel of our STR3 in Monza! #SING200 ❤️???? pic.twitter.com/07KIiYJdsK
— Toro Rosso (@ToroRossoSpy) September 14, 2016
Grand Prix of BelgiumLocal time
Grand Prix of BelgiumLocal time
Bahrain International Circuit - Winter testing
Bahrain
Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
Saudi Arabia
Jeddah Street Circuit
Australia
Albert Park
Azerbaijan
Baku City Circuit
United States of America
Miami International Autodrome
Monaco
Monte Carlo
Spain
Circuit de Catalunya
Canada
Gilles Villeneuve
Austria
Red Bull Ring
United Kingdom
Silverstone
Hungary
Hungaroring
Belgium
Spa-Francorchamps
Netherlands
Circuit Zandvoort
Italy
Monza
Singapore
Marina Bay Street Circuit
Japan
Circuit Suzuka
United States of America
Circuit of the Americas
Mexico
Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez
Brazil
Interlagos
United States of America
Las Vegas Street Circuit
United Arab Emirates
Yas Marina Circuit
700,589 comments on Red Bull Racing
957 members have this team as their favourite
Tweets about Max Verstappen
267,213 comments on McLaren 156 members have this team as their favourite Tweets about McLaren
G. Zhou
Replies (0)
Login to reply