Sebastian Vettel claims Formula 1 fans are ‘really lucky’ to watch 25-year-old

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Sebastian Vettel claims Formula 1 fans are ‘really lucky’ to see Max Verstappen make history with Red Bull in 2023 as F1 has always had dominant drivers across the years.

The 25-year-old is fast closing in on a third-straight drivers’ title this season after producing a dominant campaign. Verstappen has won in 12 of the 15 Grand Prix so far this year to lead the standings by 151 points. He has also finished on the podium in 14 of the Grand Prix yet.

For the first time in 2023, Red Bull were uncharacteristically off the pace at the Singapore GP last week. The team from Milton Keynes struggled to find a set-up that would cope with the Marina Bay Street Circuit’s unique characteristics. But normal service has resumed in Japan.

Verstappen is dominating F1 in a record-setting season

Verstappen failed to make Q3 in qualifying at the Singapore GP before charging through the field for a P5 finish. But the Dutchman is back on pole at Suzuka after topping qualifying for the Japanese GP by 0.581 seconds. Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez would only finish in P5.

Topping qualifying at Suzuka returned Verstappen’s 10th pole position of the season. He will now hope to convert it into a 13th win of the season on Sunday. Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz ended Verstappen’s record-setting streak of 10-straight Grand Prix victories with the Singapore GP.

Not since Perez won the Azerbaijan GP in April had any driver denied Verstappen the Grand Prix win. It saw him eclipse Vettel’s streak of nine-in-a-row set with Red Bull in 2013. Vettel enjoyed a dominant year of his own that season en route to his fourth-straight drivers’ title.

Vettel also enjoyed a dominant campaign in 2011 as the 36-year-old won 11 of the 19 Grand Prix. While Lewis Hamilton went on to have dominant seasons with Mercedes in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019 and 2020. Just Nico Rosberg in ‘16 denied Hamilton a title in those years.

Dominant periods also preceded Vettel’s career in Formula 1, which the German is now fast to note while praising Verstappen’s triumphant season with Red Bull this year. Alberto Ascari produced the most dominant year in F1’s history yet in 1952 when he won 75% of the races.

Vettel feels F1 fans are ‘lucky’ to see the Red Bull driver shine

Michael Schumacher almost equalled the Italian’s record in 2004 as the German won 72% of the races with Ferrari. The German and the Scuderia smashed their competition aside across the season with Schumacher taking pole, the fastest lap and the race win five times, as well.

So, rather than bemoaning Verstappen’s dominance in 2023, Vettel believes Formula 1 fans should be grateful they are witnessing the Belgium-born driver make history with Red Bull.

“I think people don’t like to see the same driver winning all the time,” Vettel said, via quotes by Motorsport-Total. “Today, it’s Max. Then there was Lewis. There was myself. Back then, there was Mika [Hakkinen] and, of course, Michael and that for a long time.

“I think it’s just part of the sport. But you should be really lucky to be able to see history in the making. And what Max has done this year is incredible.”