Sebastian Vettel is one of the top German Formula One racers who has built up a net worth of $28 million through his various racing titles and sponsorship. He has won the F1 Championship for the past four years and continues to be a dominant force in the Formula One world at only 27 years old. Vettel is currently competing in the 2014 season where he had a struggling start but sits in sixth position. Here are five thing you didn’t know about Sebastian Vettel.
5. He wanted to be a pop star
One of Vettel’s childhood idols was none other than the king of pop, Michael Jackson. Vettel actually wanted to be a singer and pursue a career in the entertainment business until he discovered that he had no real vocal ability. After this he immediately switched to racing where he aspired to achieve the status of another personal hero, Formula One racer Michael Schumacher.
4. He is the quickest racer to be fined
Vettel was actually fined a mere nine seconds into his professional career. Back in 2007 during the very start of his racing career, Vettel was caught speeding in the pit lane during practice which earned him a $1,000 fine. Whether it was a mistake or intentional, I’m sure he’s not missing the money now with how much he’s worth.
3. He is on television a lot
Sebastian Vettel just can’t stay away from the camera. He has plenty of endorsements which puts him on TV all the time in commercials and advertisements. He was even featured in Disney Pixar’s Cars 2 which featured lots of other vehicles, including Formula One cars. It’s not determined whether he sought out the role or was asked to do it, but he certainly wouldn’t turn down the chance to be on screen.
2. He names all of his cars
Vettel views his Formula One cars the same way that captains view their boats and believes they all deserve a name. The most notable was when he named one of his vehicles Kate, which was wrecked in a crash. After this, he named his next car Kate’s Dirty Sister. So far, Vettel has used a total of eight different cars and has continued to name each one of them, some even after real celebrities.
1. He was in a serious crash before he even entered F1
Back when he was a part of the Formula Three league Vettel was in a horrible crash while traveling at 170 miles per hour. He hit the barrier and his car was destroyed so badly that it sent debris flying everywhere, one piece even through his finger, nearly taking it completely off. Luckily for Vettel, the doctors were able to completely stitch it back and he made a full recovery. After experiencing something that bad, it’s amazing Vettel was able to find the courage to continue racing, but it was clearly the right decision.
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