World Champion Vettel Was Never In Doubt!

Eight years ago I was standing at the karting circuit in Kerpen, Germany, where Michael Schumacher honed all his early skills and instincts, talking to one of the men who had discovered Schumi.

"I think we have another Michael," he said, with a twinkle in his eye. "His name is Sebastian Vettel. He's 15 but already I'm telling you he will be a multiple world Formula One champion."

As the years went by so more and more insiders in the sport concurred. He could have won the title in 2008, and gave it a good shot last year as well but yesterday, under the floodlights of the Yas Marina circuit in Abu Dhabi, Vettel fulfilled all prophecies and, at the age of just 23, became the youngest man ever to win the world title. More will surely follow.

Apart from his God-given talent to be able to drive a car better than anyone else, what I like about Vettel is his personality. When he won his first ever GP in Monza in 2008 his response to the question, is this the greatest day of your life, was: "You were obviously not there when I lost my virginity." It is an answer he would probably repeat, even after yesterday's triumph.

The F1 grid now is as exciting as it has been for a very long time - Alonso, Hamilton, Button, Schumacher, plus the likes of Rosberg, Massa, Kubica and Webber - but all will be chasing Vettel for the next few years, a man who backed up a statement made by a German on a quiet, weekday afternoon in Kerpen back in 2002.