Sebastian Vettel has enjoyed a long and illustrious career in Formula 1, having achieved four World Championships and 53 Grand Prix victories across a journey which began back at the 2007 United States Grand Prix, with many hailing him to this day as one of the best to have ever done it.
There is no doubt that the German will go down in history as one of the greatest F1 drivers of all-time, given that he is currently joint-third with Alain Prost for most Drivers’ titles.
Red Bull’s most decorated driver sits just behind Lewis Hamilton, his hero Michael Schumacher and the original greatest of all-time, Juan Manuel Fangio.
Whilst recent years haven’t offered the 35-year-old much in terms of success, he has shown glimpses of what made him a four-time World Champion and, crucially, one of the most respected drivers to have graced the paddock.
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His 53 wins alone put him third on the list for most victories, with the Aston Martin driver also being third on the list for most podiums after claiming 122.
So, considering that statistically he is one of the best to have raced in F1, who does the German think himself is the greatest of all-time?
Fans can spend hours debating the matter, with the likes of Hamilton, Schumacher, and, of course, Ayrton Senna, always coming out on top.
But does Vettel agree?
According to a fan video, no.
Given that Schumacher is his “hero”, you’d presume that the German would hail the seven-time World Champion as the greatest-ever; however, this isn’t the case.
Vettel believes Fangio is “the king”, with the Argentine having claimed 24 victories in just 54 races, meaning he won 44.4-percent of the races he entered, regardless of whether they were official championship races or not.
“I’m a fan of Michael [Schumacher], but Fangio [ Juan Manuel Fangio] is a little better… the best, the best, the king,” Vettel revealed.
Whilst Vettel is clearly a huge fan of Fangio, Schumacher remains his idol, with the 53-year-old having been somewhat of a mentor to the soon-to-be retired driver.
Vettel was asked prior to last year’s season finale how he’d feel if Hamilton eclipsed Schumacher’s seven titles, with the German admitting that “it doesn’t change anything” if the Mercedes driver wins multiple more titles, as Schumacher is always “the greatest”.
“Michael is my hero,” Vettel said ahead of last season’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
“For that reason I probably don’t want Lewis to win but the truth is, they have both had a strong season, they are going into the last race with the opportunity to win the championship because they both deserve it.
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“In a way, I’d be happy if Michael’s record still stands but even if Lewis wins, to me Michael is still the greatest.
“Lewis can win one more, two more, three more, five more championships but it doesn’t change anything for me and I get along with Lewis.
“So the gut says I want Max to win just to keep the record alive but my head is clear in terms of ‘let the best man win’.”