“That’s one of the greatest things I’ve ever seen in Grand Prix racing” – An amazed James Allen on air after Sebastian Vettel won his first ever Grand Prix

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Four-time World Champion Sebastian Vettel registered his first F1 race win in the 2008 Italian Grand Prix

In a sensational win, the Torro Rosso of Sebastian Vettel was first across the line at the 2008 Italian Grand Prix at Monza. Vettel started the race in pole position and made the most of it to register the first win of his career. “That’s one of the greatest things I’ve ever seen in Grand Prix racing” – the words of James Allen still reverberates in our ears as Vettel took the chequered flag.

The race, that was forecast to be dry, was run in terrible conditions to start with, and started behind the Safety Car. The rain stopped about 19 laps into the race, and by 25 laps all the cars had changed from the “Extreme Wets” to the “Intermediate” Bridgestone tires. The Torro Rosso stuck to the track and Vettel, went on to become the youngest Formula One race winner, drove it home, with very few mistakes. The then 21-year-old described his win as “the best day of my life.”

It was the first of many to come for Vettel, who has gone on to establish himself as a legend of the sports.Since then, he has accumulated the third-most race victories (53) and podium finishes (122) and fourth-most pole positions (57).

Vettel celebrates his first victory Monza F1 2008 on podium Toro Rosso Ferrari Foto Red Bull
Credits: F1

Sebastian Vettel is set to retire from F1 after the end of 2022 season

Sebastian Vettel has announced he will retire from Formula 1 at the end of the 2022 season. The 35-year-old German, who spent six seasons with Ferrari after joining the Italian team in 2015, will see out the remainder of his final campaign with Aston Martin. Vettel is currently third on the list of all-time Grand Prix winners with 53 victories, trailing only Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher.

“The decision to retire has been a difficult one for me to take, and I have spent a lot of time thinking about it,” said Vettel, who confirmed his retirement in a video posted on Instagram on Thursday.After making his debut in 2007, Vettel went on to win four consecutive world championships for Red Bull between 2010 and 2013, the first of which made him the sport’s youngest title winner.

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