White van man Vettel: He's Formula One's speed king but lives life in the slow lane...



The next time Lewis Hamilton taxis down the runway of Nice airport in his cherry-red £20million private jet, Sebastian Vettel is likely to be popping to the shops for a pint of milk in something that resembles a taxi.

For, when Vettel is not tearing round a track in his Red Bull in some exotic grand prix location, the triple world champion is transformed into the Formula One equivalent of white van man.

‘The car that I really like to use... I am not sure how much I can say, but I have a Volkswagen bus,’ reveals Vettel. ‘Like a people-carrier. Not an old one but it is so easy to put all my s*** in the back, like my bike. You can take the seats out. I bought it second-hand in 2007 for £25,000.’

Seb's pick: Vettel enjoys driving his second-hand van, similar to the one pictured here

Hardly the mode of transport normally associated with the glamorous world of Formula One, and Vettel is quick to get back on corporate message. ‘My favourite car is an Infiniti,’ he says with a chuckle, making sure to drop the name of Red Bull’s title sponsors.

But the fact remains Vettel is far from your normal Formula One driver. For example, the millionaire playground of Monaco — home to Hamilton, Jenson Button and plenty more racing drivers before — holds no attraction.

Fiercely protective of his private life, Vettel has chosen the idyllic Swiss village of Ellighausen, close to the border of his German homeland, to put down roots with long-term girlfriend Hanna Prater.

‘I have no cows,’ says Vettel before laughing off comparisons to Heidi. ‘My life is fairly normal. Very different to what happens here (at the track). It’s very quiet. There are more cows than people!



Preview: Vettel surveys the Sepang International circuit with a Red Bull crew member ahead of Sunday's race

‘Your life depends on the kind of guy you are,’ he continues ahead of this weekend’s Malaysian Grand Prix. ‘There is no right or wrong. We are quite busy all year. You need something different at home — peace and quiet. I’m not tempted by places like Monaco. It’s nice but it’s not for me.

‘My neighbours don’t bother me. I’m glad I found a nice place in Switzerland. Swiss people are very respectful of your private space but I consider myself a sportsman, not a star. I have zero followers on Twitter so I can’t be a star.’

On track: Vettel started on pole for the Australian Grand Prix but finished third

He would pick up a few should he sign up but, given his desire for privacy, Twitter does not appeal either.

Despite the aim to lead as normal a life as possible, superstardom and domination of the world of Formula One by the age of 25 go hand in hand. Not that it appears to have affected Vettel.

‘I go to the shops and buy my own stuff,’ he says. ‘I’ve never known it differently. I have a little bit of help with some things. I have someone who does the lawn, even though I do it myself quite a lot.’



Vettel manages to keep a low profile on his travels. ‘Two years ago I was in London having lunch with Bernie Ecclestone where it’s pretty common to have photographers outside,’ he recalls. ‘I came out and the guy asked me to get out of the way because Bernie was coming.’

Steady start: Vettel finished third at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne

Germany is where he gets recognised most often but he still goes to watch his football team, Eintracht Frankfurt, when he has chance.

Vettel is happy to let friends do the driving but, when behind the wheel on public roads, he is just as eager to cut a dash through the traffic as he is on the track.

‘I hate traffic jams. I try to find the lane that is quickest and get it wrong,’ says Vettel. ‘I always try the shortcut and get stopped by the police for using illegal ones.

‘People expect me to be a maniac on the road but I’m fairly relaxed, always obeying speed limits for sure! With traffic you can’t speed anyway and I don’t need big cars.’