Are we seeing a Vettel era?

[Jeffsvilleusa]

I agree, the 2008 STR was performing beautifully for Vettel on that day, I think it was attributed to the Ferrari engine for all the straight-line speed, plus the STR had been shaping up over the past race weekends leading up to that date- not to detract from Seb's performance, but winning in a 2008 STR is not like winning in a Minardi or whatever the equivalent was. The fact is, winning cars make winning drivers. The driver is a big input, but they can only add up to say... 6 tenths!

That said I think we are in a Vettel-Red Bull era, no one knows, but I expect them to repeat next year too- I just think Newey has this Formula pegged and he is only refining their design, while everyone else is playing catch-up. Vettel has demonstrated the consistency to extract the fullest out of the car. I don't think Vettel is quite the racer as Alonso or Hamilton, but he has what it takes to manage a race, and besides with this years formula of DRS/Pirelli/KERS most passing takes place under a large performance disparity so he doesn't need to be such a swashbuckling overtaker.

I think they will reign until the new engine formula, and then there might be a change.

[raymondu999]

I think I remember the STR was set up for the wet, whereas the rest of the field was set up for the dry, this is the main reason why I do not hold that victory in very high regard.

Actually they were setting very high (I think highest?) speed trap figures; and they explicitly stated it was a dry setup

[ajdavison2]

Must of been thinking of another situation I guess.. apologies

[raymondu999]

Speedtrap figures for 2008 Italy qualifying: Mark is on top with 327.4, Vettel with 327.1. Bourdais is running a wetter setup, with 324.2; as was also shown in the quali sector times. Bourdais through sector 3 (with Parabolica and Ascari) was faster than Vettel despite having more fuel on board.

Funnily enough Vettel won this week with 327.7 on the speed trap. Maybe it's his lucky number in Monza

[Traction]

its definately going to be a Vettel/RBR era, the combination of the two is phenomenal and as long as Vettel is out on the track feeding the crew the info they need and making the recommendations as to what set up teh car needs in regards to fine tuning for a track then they will have a winning formula.

In lala land this might work but in reality things work in a different manner.

Not really...it's common knowledge that the difference between and average driver and a top driver I.e one who can extract the most out of a car is the way the car is set up for a particular track. The winners getbtheir cars set up right to the edge. Put an average driver in the same set up and he would'nt be able to handle it....

[HampusA]

No you completely dis-regard the fact that almost anyone with a years training in a RBR would dominate like Vettel.

Vettel is a good driver but there are way faster guys out there. Di Resta spanked Vettel like the little boy he is in F3, in the SAME machinery.

My guess is he and a few other guys would do the same in a RBR.

[HampusA]

The reason Vettel had free air to play in was because Raikkonen Hamilton & Kubica all failed to set a time in Q3.

Hamilton Kubica and Raikkonen all went faster then Vettel but in traffic.

great job but not so special when you consider what really happened.

[beelsebob]

Simply put – we're not seeing a Vettel era, we're seeing a RedBull era. Sure, Vettel is a good driver, but he's not a great one.

Similarly, while Schumacher was a good driver, I don't believe he was the best of his era (I believe Hakkinen was rather better tbh). We didn't see a Schumacher era, we saw a Ferrari one.

[Richard]

Disagree.

We are seeing a Red Bull era, and Vettel happens to be lucky as the driver in that car. When I say "lucky" I mean that 2 or 3 others would have as many wins if they were at RB now.

Vettel can only be sure of showing his talent being exceptional if he can beat his rivals when in similar car. He also needs to show that his WDC is repeatable. Like all good scientific proofs repeatability in different environments is key.

Put it this way, what if Alsono had signed for RB after McLaren? He'd be on his 4th WDC while Vettel would be the bright kid stuck in that Ferrari. Then we'd be hailing the Alonso era.


edit to add... actually lets face it, we are seeing a Newey era. The team and diver name is incidental.

[scuderiafan]

I said yes. We're already in the "Vettel Era". He's come from almost nowhere to title contender, to title winner, to (probably) another title this year. Does this mean it will be like the years where Schumacher won everything and anything? No, absolutely not. There are too many other excellent drivers, and teams like Ferrari and McLaren who almost MUST win titles to let Vettel and Red Bull continue their white-wash of F1.

[wesley123]

Voted no, like other said we are in a Red Bull era, not Vettel era. An Vettel era would mean that in the same car others would do a worse job, and that Vettel would do similair in another car. Nothing compared to Schumi or whoever. If alonso, Hamilton, Button or whoever was in Vettels seat I am sure they would have scored equal or better. I am confident that 1 third of the grid can beat Vettel in the same car. Imo he hasnt shown any race craft whatsoever, when he wasnt first into turn one he was or overtaken by an far slowerd driver which would be easy to get past to or if that wasnt the case he would start making mistakes and be nowhere. I mean, a guy with pure racecraft wouldnt make that stupid mistake he did in Canada, ruined his race in Germany or any other he had made. When he is under little pressure he is nowhere to be found, then I would say he is a midfielder, barely any quicker then Massa. I am sure that i nthe hands of an alonso or Hamilton They would already be WDC in that car. Thus it is an Red Bull era, not Vettel era.

With schumi that was his era, he was perfection, he topped a new level, he built a team from scratch. What did Vettel do? He just gets a car shoved in his hands and is asked to drive quick laps. Hamilton or Alonso would drive the crap out of him if in the same team.

[bergzy]

i agree with a lot of the posters that it is more of a rbr era than a vettel era.

i am not an F1 freak...but i do enjoy it. looking at qualifying times of each constructor and you see the cars are almost always in similar grid positions. you dont see a force india consistently in pole and one doesnt see a ferrari always on the last row.

as i look at the drivers and respective cars they drive...the team members are always not too far from one another on the grid.

thus, it is not a coincidence that webber and vettel are so close to each other in championship points. Why? imo, first because of the car (and team) and then the driver.

i was not around for the senna days...but i might risk in saying that schumi was the exception.

just my opinion and observation.

[raymondu999]

Sorry Bergzy; are you talking about 2011? Vettel has 284 points and Webber has 167. That's 58.8% of Seb's point score. I'm not doubting what you're saying, just the reasoning you went through to it.

[CHT]

Simply put – we're not seeing a Vettel era, we're seeing a RedBull era. Sure, Vettel is a good driver, but he's not a great one.

Similarly, while Schumacher was a good driver, I don't believe he was the best of his era (I believe Hakkinen was rather better tbh). We didn't see a Schumacher era, we saw a Ferrari one.

To be a great F1 driver, not only you need to be quick on track, but you must also be good at communicating with the engineers and to synergize with the team as a cohesive unit. So it is not right to say that the racing drivers has got no part to play in building a successful team.

Lets read what what AN, the man who is responsible for the "Red Bull Era", says about driver.

http://www.formula1.com/news/interviews ... 12187.html

Btw, Ruben was there during the Ferrari era, Webber was with RBR before Vettel. Would you say that both drivers doesnt deserve to be in F1?

Having said that I would say that this is a RBR/Vettel era as we cant discount the fact that a good car and engine will contribute to 70%-80% of driver's success in F1.

[sriraj1031]

For some reason this forum seems to be too biased towards some drivers,

vettel has been driving the hell out of the car for qualifying and initial part of the race to be where he is right now, meanwhile webber in similar equipment has scored only 58% of what vettel has scored, so please give that guy some credit for what he has achieved.

So its like saying Button is a champion only because of brawn gp and not his skills. One needs to acknowledge that first to out score his colleague in the same equipment before becoming a champion and colleagues are always not duds like Fisi, Kovi etc

P.S Button is outscoring Hamilton right now,