Sebastian Vettel Reveals How BMW’s Broken Formula 1 Promise Paved the Way for Red Bull Glory

Sebastian Vettel has opened up about the most uncertain chapter of his Formula 1 journey in the new ARD documentary Being Sebastian Vettel, describing how German manufacturer BMW initially backed him before ultimately letting him go. The four-time world champion’s recollection traces a narrow path from a contractual promise that never fully materialized to a sensational 2008 Monza victory—and eventually, four consecutive drivers’ titles.

For Vettel, the story begins not with Red Bull, but with BMW. The manufacturer had placed him in its young-driver pipeline and, according to Vettel, his contract explicitly stated that he would receive a Formula 1 seat. Yet the pathway proved far less certain than the paperwork suggested.

BMW’s Early Support and Vettel’s First F1 Steps

Vettel made his first Formula 1 appearance during a Grand Prix weekend at the 2006 Turkish Grand Prix in Istanbul, driving in Friday practice and immediately setting the fastest time. The following year, he made his official Grand Prix debut for BMW Sauber at the United States Grand Prix in Indianapolis, stepping in for the injured Robert Kubica. He scored his first world championship point straight away.

“In the end, the whole BMW story didn’t really work out as originally planned,” Vettel said in the documentary. “I actually already had one foot in the door because my contract with BMW stated that I would get a seat in Formula 1. But that never really materialised.”

Doubts Inside BMW Sauber and a Missing Path Forward

That initial promise quickly gave way to doubt. Vettel explained that during his time at Sauber, a rumor circulated that he was neither fast nor good enough. He acknowledged that the impression was understandable, admitting he needed time before everything clicked.

What ultimately hurt most was the absence of a clear future. “Then the whole situation turned on its head because, on BMW’s side, I wouldn’t say there was less interest, but there just wasn’t the same drive behind it,” Vettel said. He lacked the reassurance of a defined plan—“Here’s your seat. Next year we’ll do this, the year after that we’ll do that.”

“During my time at Sauber, there was this ‘rumour’ going around that Sebastian wasn’t that fast and wasn’t that good. And yes, I can understand how people might have got that impression.” — Sebastian Vettel

Toro Rosso and Helmut Marko’s Belief

Just weeks after his BMW Sauber debut, Vettel found the opportunity he had been denied elsewhere. He became a full-time driver for Toro Rosso, Red Bull’s junior team.

Former Red Bull motorsport adviser Helmut Marko said in the documentary that Red Bull benefited because Sauber was not convinced of Vettel’s abilities. “Thank God the people at Sauber weren’t convinced of Vettel’s abilities, which meant we were able to get him,” Marko said. “And then it became clear that here was someone who not only had the speed, but was also technically capable and prepared to put in the hard work.”

Dietrich Mateschitz Steps In

According to Vettel, the final decision to give him a chance was made at the very top of the Red Bull organisation. “In the end, Dietrich Mateschitz put his foot down and said: ‘Let’s not spend too much time discussing this. Give the kid a chance. If it works out, great. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t.’”

Monza 2008 and the First Red Bull Victory

The faith paid off sooner than many expected. A little over a year after joining Toro Rosso, Vettel claimed a sensational victory at the 2008 Italian Grand Prix in Monza. It was the first Formula 1 win for a team owned by the Red Bull group and the first victory in Scuderia Toro Rosso’s history.

Lewis Hamilton, reflecting in the Vettel documentary, called it a defining moment. “I think that was a really defining moment, showing that this guy’s got what it takes to become world champion,” Hamilton said. Marko added that the Monza success was the reason Red Bull promoted Vettel to the senior team for the following year.

“It was because of that success that we brought him to Red Bull for the following year.” — Helmut Marko

From Toro Rosso to Four World Championships

Vettel joined Red Bull Racing for 2009 and won his first drivers’ championship in 2010. By then, BMW had already withdrawn from Formula 1, ending the manufacturer’s direct involvement in the sport.

Looking back, Vettel acknowledged that fortune played a role in how his career unfolded, but he rejected the idea that luck alone carried him. “Having the right people around at the right moment, the right things happening, and so on,” he said. “But you still have to deliver the right performance. And I think a lot of what we call luck is actually in your own hands.”

Today, Vettel is retired from Formula 1 as a four-time world champion, having won every one of his titles with Red Bull between 2010 and 2013 before later racing for Ferrari and Aston Martin. His early BMW chapter remains a reminder that even future champions can face closed doors—and that the right second chance can change everything.

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