Column: It is finally clear that Vettel is not one of the very best

Good luck

The Vettel has been in Formula 1 from the start. He gets an early chance at BMW and can immediately score points in a fast car, only to finish the season at Toro Rosso. There he peaks at times, but even then Vettel has all his famous valleys. For example, he pops on top of a colleague from Red Bull Racing and shoots in the wall often enough.

Red Bull, however, is a team that's in the works. Fernando Alonso refuses to sign a contract with Christian Horner's race stable because no one really believes in the miracle of the energy giant yet. Vettel moves on to Red Bull relatively easily and with Mark Webber gets a teammate who can't resist the young dog too much.

The world titles

In 2009 Vettel is already the boss of him and also in 2010. Vettel has some good luck. Nobody gave a penny for the team, but suddenly Vettel is in the best car on the field. A world title gifted to him by the strategic people of Ferrari in Abu Dhabi also ensures confirmation at the top of Red Bull.

Until Abu Dhabi, Webber seemed to be the big man at Red Bull, but Vettel crowned himself the youngest world champion on the final day and got the confidence he needed. Other drivers wanted to go to Red Bull now, but Red Bull didn't need it anymore. Vettel was able to win and Webber got enough points to win the team championship.

In four years time Vettel wins four world titles and is immediately (on paper) the best driver in Formula 1. However, the question many people ask themselves is whether this is really the case? However, the value of Vettel has risen to great heights and Vettel himself believes in it. He is going to emulate idol Schumacher and leaves after a dramatic 2014 to Ferrari.

What is Vettel missing?

Whether you look at Senna, Schumacher, Alonso or Hamilton. They all have something in common and that is that for any team and in any year, they are always the better of their teammate. In a single year, Alonso always wins, and the same goes for Hamilton. Vettel doesn't have that, though.

At Red Bull, after Webber's departure, he immediately loses the game to Daniel Ricciardo and also the game with newcomer Leclerc. That's no coincidence. Years of mediocrity and recognition have not made Vettel better. In fact, he still makes the same mistakes as in previous years.

The downside of success

The quick success has a downside. There is a big price to pay for the driver Vettel. Because of his marketing value alone he can no longer pay for Williams, Aston Martin and Alfa Romeo. All of a sudden Vettel is a frontrunner, but he doesn't have the qualities that the big leaders do have.

In that respect, Vettel has become a victim of his own success and happiness. He didn't have to fight for years in an inferior car to get the maximum out of it and that's why he never became constant. In every season Vettel commits one or more misses and you will hardly be able to catch his competitors on that.

No Kimi

Where Kimi Raikkonen can still ride happily after his fortieth as world champion for Alfa Romeo, Vettel can't do that. Raikkonen loves racing and the life it gives him. He hates the media, but he can swallow that as long as he can get into his car. But that has never been Vettel's goal.

Vettel likes to drive Formula 1 cars, don't get me wrong, but Vettel only wants to win. With all his success in recent years, he has already won everything he ever dreamed of. However, the one dream he still had is now in ruins and the chances of becoming world champion with another team are very slim.

Vettel is not a driver in the background. That's no longer possible with four world titles in his pocket, but Vettel can't do it as a person either. He is a family man who, from an early age, has given up everything for his sport and for the win. Will he continue to do that even if he can't win anymore? I don't think so. Vettel's career is over. He has had a great career with great teams and victories on his resume, but he may have won more than he actually deserved.

This article appeared earlier on the Dutch edition of GPblog and was written by Tim Kraaij