World News Update: 2013

Sunday 3 November 2013

Virat Kohli: Stop him if you can

With Virat Kohli at the crease, no target seems beyond reach. and going by the way he decimated the aussies in Jaipur and Nagpur, he is truly the Master of the chase.

“Maybe we need someone from the crowd to throw things at him like they do at our blokes. That might be a good start.”
This is what Australian captain George Bailey had to say when asked about ways to stop Virat Kohli after his unbeaten 115 guided India to yet another mountain-chasing victory here on Wednesday. Going by his current form, there might really be no other way.
Kohli’s performances in his last 10 ODI innings read: 115*, 68, 100*, 61, 68*, 14, 115, 2, 31, 102.
He is now the second-highest run-getter this year (behind Bailey himself), and in this series against Australia alone, his two unbeaten tons have taken India over the ropes while chasing a target in excess of 350.
Easily India’s most prolific batsman over the last two years in the shorter format, Kohli’s latest ton has proven that he has taken his batting to a different level almost blemish-free.
Like in Jaipur where he ensured India chased 360 with ease, Kohli came out on Wednesday knowing he had to up the ante with India going at under six till the 30th over.
Not that it bothered the Delhi lad, he came out looking like he had been batting for two days straight, and with a combination of drives, cuts, flicks, sweeps and even slog-sweeps, he raced to his 50 in just 31 balls to get the total up to 267/2 in 40 overs (the scoring rate now above 6.5).
“Once Shikhar got out, I took over and it was important to finish the game. The plan was to play out Mitchell Johnson, we knew he was going for wickets. I always plan my game,” Kohli said after his match-winning effort.
Plan his game he sure does, for then came the killer blow against Australia’s main weapon. It was the 41st over, and Johnson was getting some movement out of the pitch with the old ball, and for that brief period, was looking dangerous.
Kohli produced two moments of scintillating strokeplay – first to rock back and swat the ball through mid-wicket for a four, and second a solid pull for the same result. Those two strokes made it clear that he would win it for India again. It became three in three when he got an outside edge trying to go for another one.
“He has grown as a player. He is someone who is very confident, who loves playing and loves performing. Especially, if you look at this game, he made it look easy. It got difficult at the end with the ball reversing a bit. But he still batted with ease, which was fantastic,” skipper MS Dhoni said after the game.
Another aspect the skipper stressed on, and something that been Kohli’s undoing a few times, was his hot-headedness.
“He has got aggression, which he has to control. And he is doing that brilliantly, channelising and using it for the benefit of his talent and the team,” Dhoni said.
So despite Shane Watson having a lot of things to say to him during the chase, Kohli didn’t lose his cool. Not once did he look like getting out playing a rash shot, something Kohli was earlier prone to. He gave it back to Watson with his words, but never let it affect his batting.
This is a new Kohli on display. His talent and strokeplay has always been top class, but his temperament was susceptible. However, with a majority of his centuries (11 out of 17) coming during successful run chases, he seems to have gotten the best of both worlds.
And maybe, no matter how much Bailey would like it to happen, not even an unruly crowd can stop this man in his current form.

MS Dhoni: Story of the greatest analyst of all time

The period between 1996 to 2006 was a kind of era which saw very attacking cricket. From 1996 to 2006, It was Australia which dominated world cricket. Looking closely at Australia's team three reasons have gave them victory in the past. First, it was a their world class fielding. Second, their ability to handle pressure. Third, the kind of leadership they got due to Steve Waugh and Ricky Ponting . Some other factors like Cricketing style, in which they used to take a single after every four and six and their dodging style and calculation of on field tactics gave them title of world champion.
   In India the period between 1996 to 2005-06 was based on Tendulkar and techniques. A more traditional cricket was played in this era. This includes tricks like keeping mid-on and mid-off player on even after fielding restrictions are off. The reason behind this was simple as to try to take wicket as batsman will go for lofted shot. For that reason giving some extra run was OK. At the same time there was tendency to believe on traditional player who were sound in techniques.
   However, MS Dhoni's entry in the Indian cricket team just revolutionized not only Indian cricket but also world cricket. More sophisticated and calculated cricket is being played in his era. This includes inclusion of fielding centered all rounders. He believed in more pressure handling players than the technically sound players. His ability to analyze the situation according to the game earned him respect of greatest ever captain in world cricket.
   Inclusion of Aashish nehara in world cup semifinal even after harsh opposition, Constant belief in Sir Ravindra Jadeja, at the same time taking Cricketing abilities of Shikhar Dhaan, Suresh Rains, R Ashwin to next level , has helped Indian team a lot. His ability to remain calm at critical situation and ability to believe in his own tactics put him far over the managing capability of other captains.
Inclusion of ICC Champions trophy in his long list of achievements has put him above all the standards. When Sanjay Manjarekar asked him "what's next? " He simply smiled and answered "I am not here to prove anything to anyone, I just wanted to concentrate on my next tour."
   Dhoni's media handling capability is also exceptional because many captain find it very difficult to deal with media during worse time. He has established a new culture where a breed of pressure handlers are emerging. A culture of fielders, never die attitude oriented batsmen, and calculated risk taking bowlers has emerged in India which is certainly taking India's Cricketing future ahead.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni

Mahendra Singh Dhoni MS DHONI

Age of Dhoni: How Old is MS Dhoni?

Age of Dhoni: How Old is MS Dhoni?
Mahendra Singh Dhoni was born on 7 July1981.
MS Dhoni's date of Birth is 7 July1981.
According tohis date of birth,MS Dhoni's sunsign is CANCER.
In 2012 Dhoni's age will be 31 years.
In 2015 Dhoni's age will be 34 years.
In 2020 Dhoni's age will be 39 years.

ODI debut at the age of 23 ( in 2004)
Test debut at the age of 24 ( in 2005)
T-20 debut at the age of 25 (in 2006)
ICC ODI Player of the Year at the age of 27 in (2008)
ICC ODI Player of the Year at the age of 28 in (2009)

2 decades of sachin’s achievement

Starting from 1989
Sachin Tendulkar, at the age of 15, had become the youngest Indian to score a century on first-class debut, in 1988. A year later he made his Test debut in Pakistan, who had started playing for India when Tendulkar was only five years old.

1990
At the age of 17 years and 112 days, Tendulkar scored the first of 87 international hundreds.

1991
Tendulkar won Australia over by scoring 114 at the WACA, the bounciest pitch in the world.

1992
Tendulkar was 19 years when he passed the 1000-Test-runs milestone, the youngest to do so. He did it while scoring 111 out of India’s 227 in Johannesburg. Earlier in the year he had become Yorkshire’s first-ever overseas signing.

1993
After hundreds in three foreign countries, Tendulkar forged his bond with Madras, scoring 165 against England. It was his first home century and it led India to a series victory.

1994
Tendulkar opened in an ODI for the first time, in Auckland against New Zealand, and made 82, anchoring a chase of 143.

1995
The little boy got married, to Anjali Mehta, a Bombay-based doctor, at age 22.

1996
Tendulkar became the first batsman to score more than 500 runs in a World Cup. His tally ended on 523, with this stumping against Sri Lanka, in the semi-final, which India lost
Tendulkar’s first captaincy assignment was the inaugural Border-Gavaskar Trophy. India won the one-off Test in Delhi
The year Tendulkar mania took off in India. He was everywhere.

1997
Tendulkar led India to a 4-1 victory against Pakistan in an ODI series in Toronto. It was one of India’s few successes during his tenure.

1998
The year Tendulkar dominated Australia with two Test hundreds and four ODI centuries, three of which were in a row. His twin innings in Sharjah were the highlights of a year during which he gave Shane Warne nightmares by the bowler’s own admission.

1999
Australia fought back at home the following year and this Glenn McGrath lbw of Tendulkar, after he ducked into a short ball, is perhaps one of the most debated dismissals in cricket.

2000
In his 253rd match – the ICC Champions Trophy final in Nairobi – Tendulkar broke Mohammad Azharuddin’s record of 9378 runs to become the highest run-scorer in ODIs. He’s had it ever since.

2001
Tendulkar didn’t contribute with the bat to India’s greatest win of this decade – against Australia in Kolkata – but he picked up three vital second-innings wickets. He scored a century in Chennai to help India win the third Test and the series.

2002
In his 99th Test, Tendulkar overtook Don Bradman’s 29 hundreds, by scoring 193 at Headingley. It contributed to an innings-and-46-run win.

2003
Tendulkar scored 98 of his record tally of 673 World Cup runs in one unforgettable innings against Pakistan in Centurion. The defining moment was a savage upper cut against Shoaib Akhtar that sailed over the third-man boundary. Tendulkar marshalled India to the final, where their bowlers conceded 359 runs against Australia. The Man-of-the-Series bauble was little consolation.

2004
Tendulkar nearly spoiled Steve Waugh’s farewell Test in Sydney, scoring 241 not out and 60, but Australia held on for a draw.

2005
Tendulkar took possession of another world record against Sri Lanka in Delhi. This time it was Sunil Gavaskar’s 34-Test century mark that was overtaken.

2006
Tendulkar spent months out of the team because of a tennis elbow. He returned in September, with 141 against West Indies in Kuala Lumpur.

2007
More than 17 years after his debut, in England, Tendulkar was finally part of a squad that won a Test series outside the subcontinent.

2008
Often berated for not delivering on big occasions, Tendulkar scored 117 and 91 to lead India to victory in the first two finals of the tri-series in Australia
Tendulkar became the highest run-scorer in Test cricket, surpassing Brian Lara’s 11,953. Fittingly, he did it against Australia, in Mohali.

2009
Tendulkar revisited his glory days with a breathtaking 175 off 141 balls. It truly was a blast from the past, for he received almost no support and India lost the thriller to Australia.

Still a long way to go “All the very best” to the God of Cricket

Sachin Tendulkar

Bio - Data (Personal)

Name	You know it very well
Born	24th April 1973
Parents	Mr. Ramesh Tendulkar & Mrs. Rajni Tendulkar
Brothers	Nitin & Ajit Tendulkar
Sister	Savitai Tendulkar
Wife	Anjali Tendulkar(10 November 1967)
Married on	24th May 1995
Daughter	Sara Tendulkar(12 October 1997)
Son	Arjun Tendulkar(24 September 1999)
Coach	Ramakanth Achrekar
Close friend	Vinod Kambli

NEW DELHI: God Of Cricket Sachin Tendulkar on Thursday announced his decision to retire from Test cricket after playing his landmark 200th match against the West Indies next month, bringing an end to the intense speculation about his future
.

The 40-year-old Tendulkar, who has not been in the best of form in recent times, has informed the BCCI about his decision to quit Test cricket after a glorious career spanning 24 years.

In an emotional statement, Sachin Tendulkar said: "All my life I have had a dream of playing cricket for India. I have been living this dream every day for the last 24 years. It’s hard for me to imagine a life without playing cricket because it’s all I have ever done since I was 11 years old. It’s been a huge honour to have represented my country and played all over the world. I look forward to playing my 200th Test Match on home soil, as I call it a day.

I thank the BCCI for everything over the years and for permitting me to move on when my heart feels it's time! I thank my family for their patience and understanding. Most of all, I thank my fans and well-wishers who through their prayers and wishes have given me the strength to go out and perform at my best."

Tendulkar's 200th Test match is most likely to be held at his home ground in Mumbai from November 14. The Eden Gardens in Kolkata is also a contender for hosting that historic match. The BCCI has not yet announced the venues for the two Tests against the West Indies.

The fact that the BCCI squeezed in a home series against the West Indies had raised speculation that it was done to give Tendulkar the opportunity to retire in front of his home fans.

Although Tendulkar had always maintained that he would continue playing cricket as long as he enjoys playing the game, the pressure of playing at the international level has gradually taking a toll on his ageing body.

He recently retired from the IPL and the Champions League T20 event after his franchise Mumbai Indians won both the titles this year.

"Sachin says it's hard to imagine life without cricket" - Yes ur Right.... "Cricket Without Sachin Tendulkar is like body without Soul" Missing u Sachin :-(
- See more at: http://sachincricketgod.blogspot.in/#sthash.ePKTFQwZ.dpuf

The 40-year-old Tendulkar, who has not been in the best of form in recent times, has informed the BCCI about his decision to quit Test cricket after a glorious career spanning 24 years.

In an emotional statement, Sachin Tendulkar said: "All my life I have had a dream of playing cricket for India. I have been living this dream every day for the last 24 years. It’s hard for me to imagine a life without playing cricket because it’s all I have ever done since I was 11 years old. It’s been a huge honour to have represented my country and played all over the world. I look forward to playing my 200th Test Match on home soil, as I call it a day.

I thank the BCCI for everything over the years and for permitting me to move on when my heart feels it's time! I thank my family for their patience and understanding. Most of all, I thank my fans and well-wishers who through their prayers and wishes have given me the strength to go out and perform at my best."

Tendulkar's 200th Test match is most likely to be held at his home ground in Mumbai from November 14. The Eden Gardens in Kolkata is also a contender for hosting that historic match. The BCCI has not yet announced the venues for the two Tests against the West Indies.

The fact that the BCCI squeezed in a home series against the West Indies had raised speculation that it was done to give Tendulkar the opportunity to retire in front of his home fans.

Although Tendulkar had always maintained that he would continue playing cricket as long as he enjoys playing the game, the pressure of playing at the international level has gradually taking a toll on his ageing body.

He recently retired from the IPL and the Champions League T20 event after his franchise Mumbai Indians won both the titles this year.

"Sachin says it's hard to imagine life without cricket" - Yes ur Right.... "Cricket Without Sachin Tendulkar is like body without Soul" Missing u Sachin :-( - See more at: http://sachincricketgod.blogspot.in/#sthash.rHp8eL4h.dpuf

God Of Cricket Sachin Tendulkar leads Mumbai to victory

LAHLI: Sachin Tendulkar's farewell game in domestic cricket ended in a manner befitting his iconic stature, as the retiring legend single-handedly guided Mumbai to a four-wicket win over Haryana in one of the most keenly followed match in the history of Ranji Trophy on Wednesday.

Requiring 39 more runs to win with four wickets in hand on the fourth and final day, Sachin Tendulkar went on to make a calculated 175-ball unbeaten 79, building his innings in the manner that has been the hallmark of his later years.

The stay in the middle also ensured Tendulkar warmed up for next month's Test series against the West Indies, which will culminate with the second and his landmark 200th Test in Mumbai, where he will bring the curtain down on his glorious 24-year tryst with international cricket.

After a series of shifts in momentum over the past three days, it was Mumbai who had the last laugh, thanks largely to the relentless perseverance showed by Sachin Tendulkar.

Starting the day at 201 for six, Tendulkar, overnight on 55, guided Dhawal Kulkarni (16 not out) to the last run that came when the young pacer hit Mohit Sharma for a boundary, much to the delight of his Mumbai teammates who had planned to gift the veteran a win in his last game for the state side.

The hordes of home spectators who had trooped into the Bansi Lal Cricket Stadium, didn't mind either as it was Tendulkar who was at the forefront of this successful chase.

Sachin Tendulkar inaugurates 100th transformed school

NDTV and Coca-Cola India on Friday celebrated the completion of transforming the 100th school under the 'Support My School' initiative at Priyadarshini Vidyalaya in northwest Mumbai.

The event also marked the inauguration of the 50th school library under the initiative. Set up by Pearson Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Pearson, a media and education company, the library has over 600 books on all subjects. It was inaugurated by campaign ambassador and cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar.

I am honoured to be associated with this inspiring campaign that is committed to provide the right infrastructure to keep children happy in schools," said Tendulkar

Representatives of the campaign partners UN-Habitat, Charities Aid Foundation (CAF), Tata Teleservices, Pearson Foundation and Sulabh International were also present at the occasion.

"This is my first century away from cricket and a very happy one. I am honoured to be associated with this inspiring campaign that is committed to provide the right infrastructure to keep children happy in schools. Reaching the milestone of the 100th revitalised school is a proud and joyous occasion for us," Tendulkar said.

The campaign was initiated in January 2011 with a vision to address issues such as access to drinking water, sanitation and infrastructure facilities in schools and to create healthy, active and happy environment at schools.

Coca Cola NDTV Support My School Campaign

Over 43,000 children across 10 states in India have benefited from the campaign that has helped reduce dropouts and absenteeism and increased enrolments in these revitalised schools.

Also present at the occasion were Vikram Chandra, Group CEO of NDTV and Atul Singh, president and CEO of Coca-Cola India and South West Asia.

Speaking about the library, Khozem Merchant, president of Pearson India said: "Our library project has been an extraordinary success with students spending quality time reading books outside of their curriculum, some for the very first time."

Heart Touching Letter from Sachin Tendulkar

Heart Touching Letter from Sachin........

Dear fans,
I am saddened as I write this letter. I know I have disappointed you with the series loss against England and my performance isn’t what you have always expected of me. I have always given my best for the team, but the results are not in my favour this time around. People are clamouring for my retirement and I can’t agree more with them. I have not been living up to the standards that I have set for myself through the years and I am indeed answerable to the fans.

Sachin Tendulkar

I apologize to you for my dismal
performances, and for failing you time and again. It is a general misconception among people that I have grown complacent and
taking things for granted. But I can assure you that I am the same person who made his debut at the age of 16 as an excited teenager. I have been following my routine right from the day I made my debut till today. Nothing has changed, neither the preparation nor the mind-set. Maybe age is finally catching up to me, something I have been trying to fight for the major part of the last five years. I have been training harder to keep myself fit and strong in order to be able to give my best.
Cricket has been my calling right from a young age. I still remember the day me and Vinod were playing together in a Harris-Shield trophy match, where we put up a 600 run partnership. The immense enjoyment of being on the field all day long with my best friend was all I could dream about for the next few days. That was the day I decided to play cricket for the rest of my life, for I loved it more than anything; food, chocolates, bicycles- things that a fourteen year oldcould long for.
Years have passed after that and things are not the same anymore. I have matured both as a person and as a player. But the hunger still remains the same. I still want to do well and give my best whenever I walk on the field; something that has been my mantra all through the years. I have achieved so much in cricket- the fame, the money and the compliments came to me on their own. I am proud of my records when I look back at them today. The only thing I almost missed out on was the World Cup; I got there too in the end, with a team as determined as I was, who strove along with me to achieve the glory that I was unable to attain for almost 22 years.

But the real struggle was after the World Cup, when I had to suffer through another lean patch, which I am going through even now. People wanted me to go now that I have gotten my wishes fulfilled. They said it was the right time for me to retire, since my dream has been achieved. But I felt I can contribute more to the cause of the Indian team. The team needs some good youngsters to fill the places of seniors when we retire, and someone should be there to guide them, or so we felt. It might be a wrong decision but it was for the greater good. Perhaps we realized our mistake when we heard “the seniors are selfish to block the place of talented youngsters!”
Our only thoughts were about setting the team up for the youngsters and getting the tough tours to England and Australia out of the way, so that the youngsters can have a smoother path into the test team. But we did not consider our own problems, which were the roots of our own destruction.
It was a tough time for us after Australia,
losing both VVS and Rahul. It brought me back down to earth, and I started contemplating retirement. But I had some solace after the century against Bangladesh,though we were unlucky to lose the match.
Two series later, we were facing the same predicament against England at home and it was humiliating to lose the series. It was a nightmare for us, having had to endure the cricket crazy fans’ reaction. People started talking about my retirement again, claiming that I was selfish and I had to go sooner rather than later. They even said I am choosing my matches for the fear of facing quality opponents. It isn’t true, of course. I am an old man who wants to spend some quality time with my kids. They should know me enough to call me father and I do not want to miss their growing up years.
Therefore, I take some time off between series to be with them.I have to admit that I am a bit selfish, for I have been playing the game for the better part of my life. I have not known anything other than cricket. Every day I wake up to take up a bat and I sleep after arranging my kit bags. It has been a penance for the last 25 years and it would be hard for me to just give up everything. Retirement would be equal to death for me, as I have lived cricket all my life. Frankly, I do not know what to do with myself once I retire. Will I be able to secure a job as a TV commentator, a trend that has been catching up with some former players, or would I be a successful coach? Nothing pleases me like playing cricket and I am not sure whether I am made for other things in life. I have watched many players retiring, but I never had to think about how they would have felt while retiring. It was an irrelevant thought a few years back, but now I know how exactly each of them would have felt.

I know it’s time for me to go, but as a fellow Indian, I ask this of you dear fans; I am not able to let go of cricket after all these years, and even talking about it makes me feel worse. I just need some time to sort my life out, to decide on what to do with myself once I retire. I am not here for the fame or for the records but for the passion that I had and I have for this game right from the day I picked up a bat. I am making up my mind and I need a little more time to announce my retirement. It is a humble request from a dedicated servant of cricket and I would feel happy if you oblige me.

Thank you
Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar

Britney Spears Biography

Profile

Famous as :

Pop singer

Birth Name :

Britney Jean Spears

Birth Date :

December 02, 1981

Birth Place :

Kentwood, Louisiana, USA

Claim to fame :

Album "...Baby One More Time" (1999)

Biography

Later on being lauded as one of the greatest pop singers Hollywood has ever had, Britney Spears embarked on her music career early at her very young age. She performed in local dance revues and sang in her local Baptist church choir. Eager for more, she auditioned for the Disney Channel series "The New Mickey Mouse Club" but failed as she was considered too young to join in the series at that time. Nonetheless, one of the show's producers introduced her to a New York City agent who brought her to perform in a number of off-Broadway productions, including 1991's "Ruthless!". Trying for another audition still for a spot on the Disney Channel "The New Mickey Mouse Club" in Lakeland, Florida in 1992, the little girl finally made it and so became a musketeer along with future stars, like Christina Aguilera, JC Chasez and Justin Timberlake. Featured on the show from 1993 to 1994, she then headed back to her birth place Kentwood and attended high school for a year after the show ended.

Born on December 2, 1982 in Kentwood, Louisiana, Britney's birth name actually is Britney Jean Spears. Her parents are Lynne Irene, a former elementary school teacher, ...

and James Parnell Spears, a building contractor. Her brother, Bryan Spears, works as a manager for the Spears family interests, whereas her sister Jamie Lynn Spears is an actress and singer. Having the freedom to explore her singing talent, Britney briefly joined the all-female pop group Innosense in 1997 before later that same year recorded a demo solo and was signed by Jive Records. Working on her raw music career under the major record label, she was first of all being asked to begin a U.S. concert tour sponsored by American teen magazines before eventually became an opening act for NSYNC and Backstreet Boys.

Kicking off her singing career with the release of a debut single titled "... Baby One More Time" in the end of 1998, Britney quickly became a pop phenomenon with the song's immediate break out success, selling nine million copies worldwide and peaking at number one on the Billboard Hot 100. Following the achievement, the song also ranked at No. 25 on Rolling Stone & MTV's 100 Greatest Pop Songs of all time. An album of the same title "...Baby One More Time" was released in January the following year, only to experience a massive success ..

Thursday 31 October 2013

DHOOM - 3 Theatrical Trailer - Aamir Khan - Abhishek Bachchan - Katrina Kaif - Uday Chopra

DHOOM:3 Film releases on 20th December 2013.

Produced by Aditya Chopra, DHOOM:3 is written and directed by Vijay Krishna Acharya, who had also written DHOOM & DHOOM:2. Apart from Aamir Khan, who plays the anti-hero in the film, and Katrina Kaif, both Abhishek Bachchan and Uday Chopra will continue in their now iconic roles of Jai Dixit and Ali.

Sebastian Vettel

Sebastian Vettel made astonishingly rapid and successful progress through the lower ranks of motorsport. In 2010 he became the youngest ever Formula One world champion and he has held on to the title ever since.

Vettel spent eight years in karts, winning the German Junior Karting Championship, Monaco Kart Cup and European Junior Karting Championship in 2001. The following year he was sixth in the Senior ICA Kart Championship and then moved into car racing.

He finished second in the 2003 Formula BMW Germany championship and was top rookie. The following year, aged 17, he emphatically won the title, taking 18 wins from 20 starts and 387 points from a maximum of 400.

The following season he was fifth in the Formula Three Euroseries. The championship was dominated byLewis Hamilton and ASM – Vettel’s ASL team didn’t win a single race, though he was the top rookie.

Thanks to his BMW connections Vettel made his debut as an F1 tester for the Williams team. Still aged only 18, he had to ask his school teacher for time off to do the test.

The following year Vettel joined Paul di Resta at ASM but finished second to his team mate in the championship. A debut appearance in the World Series by Renault proved much more fruitful – Vettel won both races at Misano.

He also appeared at the next round at Spa but badly injured his hand in a 170mph crash. His right index finger was almost severed and had to be stitched back together.

BMW

Sebastian Vettel helmet design, BMW, 2007 Australian Grand Prix

Nonetheless Vettel joined BMW’s F1 team as a test driver and became their Friday driver after Robert Kubica was promoted to the race team in Jacques Villeneuve’s place.

Vettel was fastest of all in Friday practice at his first weekend in Turkey, where not only did he also become the youngest driver to participate in a Grand Prix weekend (aged 19 years and 53 days), but he also collected a fine for speeding in the pit lane on the way to the track for the first time.

2007

He began the 2007 season racing in World Series by Renault. But when Kubica was injured during the Canadian Grand Prix Vettel stood in for him at Indianapolis and finished eighth, becoming the youngest driver to score a championship point.

Kubica returned at the following round but Vettel got another chance in F1 later that year.

Toro Rosso

Toro Rosso dropped Scott Speed following the European Grand Prix and Vettel took his place for the rest of the season.

While running an excellent third in the wet Japanese Grand Prix Vettel collided with the driver in front of him during a safety car period – worst of all it was fellow Red Bull driver Mark Webber, who had a potential victory in his sights. Vettel redeemed himself at the next race in China, again in wet conditions, where he finished fourth.

2008

Even better followed in 2008, when Vettel dominated the wet Italian Grand Prix, taking pole position and leading almost all the way to win. He said afterwards:

In the race itself I was surprised – you’ve just taken the chequered flag in first the race is over, and you’ve won your first Grand Prix. To start with I didn’t understand and started thinking, “What do you say at a time like this?”

In the end my engineer, who’s a very quiet guy, came on the radio and told me that I’d just won the Italian Grand Prix. I turned on the radio and started talking very slowly and collectedly, thanking people.

It’s dumb – you work your whole life for a moment like this and when it finally happens, you don’t know where you are. But by the end of the slow-dowm lap it clicked and then I turned the radio back on again and screamed my thanks, this time in Italian.
Sebastian Vettel

It was the culmination of rapid progress by the team throughout the season. Vettel had often struggled to get beyond the first lap early in the year, but the arrival of the new STR3 chassis at Monte-Carlo followed later by an engine upgrade put the team in among the front runners.

Red Bull

2009

By then Vettel had already been confirmed as David Coulthard’s replacement at Red Bull for 2009. But his second full season of F1 didn’t get off to a great start.

While running second at Melbourne he overstepped the mark in his attempt to defend his position from Kubica and the pair collided. The steward handed Vettel a grid penalty for the next round at Malaysia, where he also failed to score.

This was a setback at the beginning of a year which he ended as runner-up in the drivers’ championship. He won four times, including a dominant wet-weather victory at Shanghai, which echoed his maiden win at Monza.

Later in the season the RB5 was often the car to beat and Vettel added wins at Silverstone, Suzuka and Abu Dhabi. But more lost opportunities hampered his championship ambitions: a crash at Monaco, a collision with Kimi Raikkonen at the Hungaroring, and a mistake on the first lap while leading at Istanbul. A blown engine at Valencia (his second that weekend) hindered his chances further.

2010

Red Bull carried their form into 2010 and Vettel should have won the first two races of the year. But he was hit with car problems while leading in Bahrain and Australia.

He did deliver a win in Malaysia but team mate Webber seized the initiative with a series of wins at mid-season. Vettel was frustrated not just by car problems, but also some costly mistakes. He collided with Webber at Istanbul and crashed into Jenson Button at Spa-Francorchamps.

But he was rarely off the front row of the grid and started ten of the 19 races from pole position. Late in the season he hit a rich vein of form, winning in Japan and Brazil and leading until his engine blew in Korea.

Even so he was the third-ranked title contender heading into the season finale at Abu Dhabi. But as rivals Webber and Alonso hit trouble Vettel claimed his fifth win of the year to snatch the championship in a dramatic turn-around.

2011

Shortly before the 2011 season began Vettel extended his contract with Red Bull until the end of 2014.

The RB7 was the class of the field once again and this time Vettel used it to exert crushing superiority over his rivals. From 19 races he set pole position 15 times – a new record – and won 11 races. He wrapped up the championship with four races to spare.

Vettel comprehensively out-classed team mate Webber, who scored a single win in the final race in Brazil as Vettel suffered a rare gearbox failure. This and a first-lap retirement in Abu Dhabi following a puncture were just about the only things that went wrong for Vettel as he became the first driver since Fernando Alonso in 2006 to win back-to-back world championship titles.

2012

Vettel successfully defended his title again in 2012 after a season-long battle with Alonso.

Changes in the technical rules left Red Bull fighting a rearguard action in the opening races. Second for Vettel in the season-opener in Melbourne and victory in round four got the year off to a promising start.

But while Red Bull tried to make progress with their RB8 Vettel slipped behind in the title battle and Alonso seized the initiative. A potential win in Valencia was lost due to alternator failure. At other tracks Webber had clearly got to grips with the new car more quickly.

Another alternator failure in Italy cost him points in a race he had already compromised by picking up a penalty while dicing with Alonso. He made a similar mistake with Button in Germany.

But Vettel’s season began to turn around after the summer break. A strong drive in Belgium produced a useful second pace finish.

He collected victory in Singapore after Hamilton retired in front of him. That began a sequence of races in which he was never headed, winning four times in a row.

Having taken the championship lead from Alonso, Vettel’s run of success faltered. He was sent to the back of the grid for a technical infringement in Abu Dhabi but impressively recovered to finish on the podium. Hamilton pinched victory off him in America, and he went into the final round of the championship with a 13-point margin over Alonso.

This proved to be just enough after a tense final round at Interlagos in which Vettel was knocked into a spin on lap one and spent the rest of the race with a damaged car. He salvaged sixth place while Alonso could only manage second, which was sufficient for him to keep hold of the championship.

2013

Vettel extended his run of championships in 2013 with his fourth victory in a row.

The opening rounds of the championship promised a closely-fought campaign, Vettel sharing wins with Alonso and Raikkonen. Mercedes also started the season strongly, their drivers keeping Vettel from pole position more often than not in the first half of the championships.

But regular podium finishes kept Vettel ahead in the points. They included a controversial win in Malaysia, where he defied his team’s order for him to stay behind Webber and passed his team mate in the final stint.

After the summer break, which also coincided with a mid-season change in tyre construction which helped Red Bull, Vettel reeled off sixth consecutive race wins which decided the outcome of the title with three races to go.