Fact box on Sebastian Vettel

Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel poses for a photo during a driver's presentation for the 2014 F1 Grand Prix in Melbourne, Australia, March 13, 2014. [Photo/icpress.cn]

Germany's Sebastian Vettel is among the most dominant and successful F1 drivers of all time and is considered as one of the greatest in the sport. The following are some key facts about the Red Bull driver:

Age: 27 Nationality: Germany Formula One World Championship career Championships: 4 (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013) 2013 position: 1st (397 points) First race: 2007 United States Grand Prix First win: 2008 Italian Grand Prix Races: 124 (124 starts) Wins: 39 Podiums: 63 Career points: 1,482 Teams: Red Bull - Renault (2009–present) Toro Rosso (2007–2008) BMW Sauber (2006–2007)

The helmet of Sebastian Vettel for the 2014 F1 Grand Prix. Photo taken on Jan 31, 2014. [Photo/icpress.cn]

Beginnings

-- Vettel was born in Heppenheim, a town surrounded by vineyards, between Heidelberg and Darmstadt, on July 3, 1987.

-- He started out racing go karts at the age of eight and then competed in junior series, including the 2004 German Formula BMW championship where he won 18 of the 20 races. That earned him a test in a Williams-BMW F1 car.

-- The following year he was top rookie in the Formula Three Euroseries, won by Britain's Lewis Hamilton.

Formula one

-- Vettel became the youngest driver to take part in a Grand Prix weekend when he drove for BMW-Sauber in Friday practice in Turkey in 2006, aged 19 years and 53 days.

-- He then made his Formula One race debut with BMW-Sauber at Indianapolis in 2007 when he replaced the injured Robert Kubica. He finished eighth, becoming the youngest driver to score a point, aged 19 years and 349 days.

-- He took part in seven races in 2007 with Toro Rosso.

-- The German was handed a full race seat with Toro Rosso for 2008 and failed to finish his first four races. He then won the Italian Grand Prix at Monza from pole position. That made him the youngest driver to start on pole (21 years and 72 days) and also the youngest ever winner (21 years and 73 days).

Red Bull

-- Vettel switched to Red Bull for 2009 after Britain's David Coulthard retired.

-- He won four races last year, including Red Bull's first victory at the Chinese Grand Prix, where he also secured the team's first pole position and led their first one-two finish. Vettel ended up as overall runner-up behind Brawn's Jenson Button.

-- This season he has taken 10 pole positions and won five races.

Champion

-- Vettel becomes world champion at the age of 23 and 135 days. The previous youngest was McLaren's Lewis Hamilton in 2008, aged 23 and 301 days.

-- He is only Germany's second F1 world champion, after seven times champion Michael Schumacher.

Personal

-- Nicknamed ‘Baby Schumi' in his early days by a German media seeking a successor to Schumacher.

-- Known as a bit of a joker, with a love of British humor and the Beatles.

-- He lives in Switzerland.

"Youngest" Formula One records

-- The youngest driver to have taken part in an official practice session of a Grand Prix.

-- The youngest driver to score championship points (beaten by Daniil Kvyat in 2014).

-- The youngest driver to lead a race, to secure pole position, and to win a race.

-- He is also currently third in the overall tally of pole positions behind fellow German Michael Schumacher and Ayrton Senna.

-- He is among the most dominant and successful F1 drivers of all time and is considered as one of the greatest in the sport.

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