When Michael Schumacher retired at the end of 2006, Germany was in desperate need for its next Formula One star. In 2007, up stepped Sebastian Vettel, who stunned the world when he won the Italian Grand Prix in wet conditions. Soon afterwards, he earned a promotion to Red Bull and proceeded to bang in four back-to-back world championships.

It appeared that Germany finally found its next F1 superstar and Michael Schumacher’s perfect successor. The media even dubbed him as ‘Baby Schumi’, owing to his slight resemblance to the F1 legend. Within the span of 13 years, since Vettel’s debut, four drivers’ titles and a move to Ferrari team only cemented his legacy.

Sebastian Vettel and Michael Schumacher: the Ferrari years

Statistically, Vettel is miles behind Schumacher with only 53 wins under his belt, compared to Schumacher’s 91. However, he is close to Schumi’s 155 podiums, though there is a strong possibility of him missing out. Sadly, most of Michael’s success came at Ferrari, while Vettel couldn’t even come close.

Both drivers joined Ferrari at a time when the team had not won a driver’s championship in a long time. When Schumacher got roped into the Maranello outfit, Ferrari had not won a driver’s title since 1979. Similarly, when Vettel joined Ferrari, their last driver’s championship came in 2007, courtesy Kimi Raikkonen.

Sadly, Vettel has not been able to emulate his idol’s success as Scuderia Ferrari. After five years of disappointment and constant silly errors, Ferrari may have gotten a little disillusioned. With Charles Leclerc as the new star, Vettel is now in the unfamiliar position of number 2 driver.

Right from his Red Bull days, Sebastian Vettel has always been the numero uno. Even when he joined Ferrari, he retained the same status. Unfortunately, he failed to deliver that elusive crown, much like predecessor, Fernando Alonso. Suffice to say, Germany may have to wait a bit longer for the next Michael Schumacher. Who knows, maybe Michael’s son could become the torch-bearer of the Schumacher legacy.