03 November 2009: The contest for the DHL Fastest Lap Trophy was decided at the very last moment. On the penultimate lap of the 2009 FORMULA 1 ETIHAD AIRWAYS ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX, Sebastian Vettel finally posted the fastest lap of the race at the Yas Marina Circuit and secured victory in the overall standings ahead of Red Bull team-mate Mark Webber, who had been in the lead at the start of the race. At the close of the race, both drivers had each set three fastest laps, which meant that the number of second fastest laps had now to be taken into account. The young German driver was in front on this score by three to one.
Vettel himself was delighted with this additional success, saying, “I am very pleased. It means a lot to me to have my achievements recognized in this way. I wanted to post the fastest lap of the race, which is why, just before the finish, I really put my foot to the floor again.” The 22-year-old driver added with a laugh, “It was more than worth it.”
Former Formula 1TM driver and now RTL TV commentator, Christian Danner, offered Vettel warm congratulations. “After such a great season, culminating in a win at Abu Dhabi and the number two spot in the world championship, winning the DHL Fastest Lap Trophy is the icing on the cake for Sebastian.”
To post the fastest lap in a race is a real challenge and comes about as a result of speed, precision and teamwork. “These attributes are indispensable for the DHL Logistics Business as well,” says Thomas Nieszner, CEO DHL Global Forwarding, Europe/CEE, who handed over the award. Since 2007, DHL has been the official name patron of the fastest lap trophy: the DHL Fastest Lap.
Vettel succeeds the Finnish driver Kimi Räikkönen, who won the trophy in the first two years of its existence. In 2007, Räikkönen, with six fastest laps under his belt, was in a similar exciting neck-and-neck race against his Ferrari team-mate Felipe Massa. He was the undisputed winner in 2008, securing a total of ten best performances. Räikkönen is by far the clear leader in this contest amongst the current crop of drivers, having set a total of 35 fastest laps. In the list of all-time top drivers, he lies in third position behind Michael Schumacher (76) and Alain Prost (41).
No comments:
Post a Comment