The 7-time world champion Michael Schumacher moved over for Sebastian Vettel in the waning laps of the Brazilian Grand Prix. That kind of thing can happen and while Vettel only needed finish in 7th place, Schumacher’s move gave Vettel a 6th place finish for the race. No big mystery here as the two Germans are fast friends and the elder statesman was a childhood hero to Vettel who grew up racing karts on the Schumacher family track in Kerpen.
While Schumacher’s former employer, Ferrari, were most likely nonplussed by the show of generosity, Red Bull’s team boss Christian Horner saw fit to thank Schumacher for his kind gesture:
“Michael very graciously gave him P6 and that was enough to convert his third consecutive world championship,” said Horner.
“Michael is renowned for being a tough racer. I think it was his gesture to Sebastian, almost like passing the baton on.
“I’m sure it was not particularly well received at his former employer [Ferrari] but I thought it was very magnanimous of Michael to move out of the way for his fellow countryman.”
It’s was a simple nod from one Formula One record-breaker to the new F1 record-breaker. Vettel secured his third consecutive championship in Brazil and will attempt to carry on the German presence in the sport for years to come. The issue is, he has stiff competition in Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button…not to mention Vettel’s own teammate Mark Webber. While Schumacher had a few rivals, Vettel has many and it’ll take some incredible driving and quick cars to keep these boys behind him.
