Sebastian Vettel is the more senior of the two Sebs in the Toro Rosso team but not in terms of age. At just 20, he’s already raced in eight F1 races and is the youngest driver ever to score an F1 point when he scored for BMW in the US Grand Prix in 2007.

While the US GP drive was as a replacement for Robert Kubica, BMW let go of Vettel in July and let him move full time to Toro Rosso to replace Scott Speed who had decided that he’d had enough of Formula 1! With a lesser car, Vettel’s performance wasn’t as sparkling, but it was enough to get him a seat for the full 2008 season with the team.

At such a young age, the opportunities for Vettel are tremendous. He is one for the future and with better cars, he will certainly show more drive! For 2008, though, there isn’t much expected and that will only be beneficial since he has no pressure. As one of many rookies on show this season, it is more a case of how much he can stand out from the rest than how many points he can score.

There are a lot of people who believe that Vettel can do a lot in Formula 1. Dietrich Mateschitz, the owner of Red Bull, Toro Rosso’s parent, is one such person. According to him, Vettel is a smart, aggressive and intelligent driver who is interested in the technical aspects as well and this will bode well for him. Definitely a fact considering how much Michael Schumacher’s technical interest helped him during his career.

While the stature of Michael Schumacher may still be a fair distance away, Vettel does have a few things going for him in that direction. For one, he has age on his side and for another, he’s German! Whether he achieves his full potential, time will tell.

There was a question or two about Vettel’s ability to fit into F1 in 2008. As the best rookie of the season (assuming Hamilton was no longer considered rookie!), he has quietened all detractors. His subsequent move to Red Bull also means that the parent team is now looking improve its performances after Toro Rosso had a great 2008.

With one win and a string of impressive results, Vettel was the most-watched driver of the season. His aggressive style belied the limited capabilities of the car and this is evident when you consider that his team-mate Sebastian Bourdais managed only 4 points in the season to Vettel’s 35.

2009 shall be a landmark year for him if he can show the same consistency of results alongside Mark Webber. With three Sebastians in the two Red Bull teams, Webber may well change his name!