Sebastian Vettel: The true measure of greatness

Sebastian Vettel

The Indian Grand Prix just got over, and for the third time in a row Sebastian Vettel was declared the winner subsequently clinching his fourth World Championship. Immediately after the race concluded, comparisons and analogies with the past champions started doing the rounds. Some names were expected – Michael Schumacher (7 Driver Championships), Juan Manuel Fangio (5 Driver Championships), some weren’t – Alain Prost; Jim Clark. And some came as a shock – Ayrton Senna.

This brings to question a lot of things; can Statistics define greatness? Can these numbers exemplify a journey? Can they represent the time and era in which that athlete achieved what he did, and most importantly; how he did it?.

Sebastian Vettel has 43 pole positions, over 30 wins and 4 titles. Does that qualify him to be compared to a Jim Clark and his 2 championships? All sportsmen have to take a journey to achieve their place, they fight to survive not just opponents but circumstances, people like Clark raced in times of the swinging sixties, he had nothing or very little in terms of safety, race briefings and pit radio calls. He had to make do with what was given and still drive fast wearing leather helmet and nylon overhauls. Clark had the ability to be able to push the car to the limit without being rough, he would find his sweet spot with a bad car and churn amazing lap times.

Now some may argue about that being a natural talent or something you inherited with time, fact remains he was successful irrespective of his underpinnings. He was considered great because he survived in a time with struggling cars and teams, and still managed to rise to the top, whether it was F1 or Indy. He managed 33 Pole positions and 25 races from 72 Grand Prix starts are merely figures on a sheet of paper, what mattered is how he achieved them! That’s what people from that era remember.

I don’t think we would stop loving Sachin Tendulkar or will have any less of a respect had he not reached the 50,000 run mark, or had Senna not had 65 Poles. Numbers represent achievements, they might provide an idea for a career graph but they cannot define a journey, they cannot exemplify the hardships, the conquests and the victories an athlete achieves by the virtue of his mind and his Will.

Michael Schumacher achieved his 7, he did with 2 different teams and in different eras, in different regulations. He won his first championship when Senna, Prost, Mansell existed and raced for top teams. He won the other with legendary battles with Hakkinen, Hill and so many more. His style of driving and his precision is what we remember. That will always stay with him and that’s why he’s a legend.

Sebastian Vettel is a great driver, and sure he will be remembered for decades to come, but comparisons cannot be drawn based on statistics alone. He has a long way to go in his career and only time will tell whether change of time, technology, regulations or probably teams will affect this winning streak or does he have the will to survive and win it all even then.