Thursday, March 31, 2011

Classic F1 2011 - Sebastian Vettel

Welcome to the first edition of BBC Sport's classic Formula 1 series for 2011.

The feature has been running for two years but after showing highlights of more than 200 grands prix since 2009, we have decided to change the format for this season.

Rather than us choose the races, the Formula 1 drivers themselves will do it.

So we have asked every driver on the 2011 grid to tell us their five favourite all-time grands prix. In the week before each race of this season, we will reveal the choices of one of the drivers and - where we have been given them - the reasons why they have selected them.

We will then broadcast the highlights from one of those races - including, where the BBC covered the race in the first place, the full 'Grand Prix' programme shown on the evening of the race.

As before, the highlights will be available both on this website and via the red button on interactive television.

Some of the drivers have chosen only races from their careers, while some have delved into their memories and come up with a selection of grands prix that have made an impression on them as well as races in which they have competed.

And who better to start us off than the reigning world champion himself, Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel?

These are the 23-year-old German's selections in his own words:

"1) The 2008 Italian Grand Prix - because you never forget your first win in F1 and it was great to see from the podium the happy faces of the people cheering.

"2) Abu Dhabi 2010, where I won the championship for the first time.

"3) Japan 2009 - from the beginning to the end a very good race.

"4) Japan 2010 - from the beginning to the end a very good race and it's special to win somewhere two years in a row, especially a great track like Suzuka.

"5) France 2008. I only finished 12th and didn't get points for Toro Rosso, but I was very happy with the result because we made a big step forward as a team that weekend."

Vettel's first choice is the one we have selected and highlights of Monza 2008 are embedded below.

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His talent had been obvious to those watching closely from the first time he stepped into a Formula 1 car as BMW's Friday test driver in 2007, but this was the race in which he really announced himself to the wider public.

It was Vettel's first season, and he had started it relatively quietly. But as the second half of the year progressed, he became increasingly impressive and he peaked with this quite brilliant victory.

Unusually at Monza, it rained for both qualifying and the race, and Vettel superbly overcame a car disadvantage to claim pole position before driving away from the field in the grand prix.

The victory meant Vettel took the honour of being the youngest winner in F1 history away from Fernando Alonso.

After the race, Vettel's team boss, the former Ferrari and McLaren driver Gerhard Berger, predicted the rising young star would go on to win multiple world championship titles.

Two years later, he has already won the first - becoming F1's youngest champion, this time replacing Lewis Hamilton - and Berger's words look more prescient by the day.

UPDATE, 1100 GMT Wednesday:

Oops, a comment below (number 35) has reminded me that we also intended to re-broadcast short and extended highlights of last year's races as part of this feature. Sorry about that. Here they are:

WATCH HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 2010 AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX
WATCH EXTENDED HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 2010 AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX

UPDATE 1130 GMT Wednesday:

We have been finalising the details of when this feature will be available on the red button on digital television in the UK and we now have them.

On satellite and cable, the 2008 Italian Grand Prix and the long highlights of last year's Australian Grand Prix will be available from 1400 on Wednesday until 0800 on Thursday, and again from 2200 on Thursday until the end of F1 first practice at 0300 on Friday.

Unfortunately, because of a lack of bandwidth, they will not be available on Freeview.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2011/03/welcome_to_the_first_edition.html

Michele Alboreto Jean Alesi Jaime Alguersuari Philippe Alliot

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