Abu Dhabi: There just seems to be no stopping Sebastian Vettel. After wrapping up his second Formula One Driver's Championship in Japan with four races still left, Vettel won two more in Korea and India.
Come the Pole run today, the young German will be aiming for his 14th win this season in what has been a truly spectacular Red Bull car and equal Nigel Mansell's record of Pole wins set in 1992. If that is the first part of his goal at this year's Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the next will be to go on and win the race tomorrow to complete a hat-trick and retain bragging rights on one of the most modern and spectacular racing venues in the world.
Vettel, who ended last year with a brilliant championship victory here in Abu Dhabi when he snatched the world title from a four-driver pack, started this year in emphatic style winning five of the first six races. That start put him beyond the reach of his rivals and now Vettel, with two races to go is looking to finish by winning six of his last seven races.
Podium finishes
If Vettel goes on to win here and in Brazil next, where again he is the defending champion, then he would have equalled fellow German and F1 legend Michael Schumacher's record of 13 wins in a season. Schumacher had won 13 in 18 races in the 2004 season.
Another record which beckons Vettel is the number of podium finishes in one year, the record of 17 out of 17 being held by Schumacher again.
Vettel has 16 from 17 so far, having only been out of the top three in the German GP, and if he gets on to the podium both here and in Brazil next then that is another record to his name.
Apart from becoming the youngest world champion when he won here last year, Vettel has many other records as the ‘youngest', including being the youngest driver to have taken part in an official practice session of a Grand Prix, the youngest to score championship points, the youngest to lead an F1 race and also the youngest to secure pole position and also win an F1 race.
Vettel might have spun out of action for a while during yesterday's second practice session but with such great form and great affinity to the Yas Marina Circuit, the German will be starting off as the favourite to win Pole race today.
