Racing against Vettel

The baby-faced German proved it this year as he outpaced our Mark Webber while winning four grands prix for the Red Bull Racing team to take second in the world championship.  I watched Vettel doing his F1 stuff at Albert Park and every few weeks on the coverage of the world championship, but saw something different this week.

This was off-duty Vettel, looking more like a 15-year-old kid than a grand prix superstar as he wandered into the pitlane at Laguna Seca raceway in California with his girlfriend.  I was there to drive the new Mercedes-Benz AMG SLS, while Vettel was doing a drive-by on his friend Bernd Schneider, a multiple German touring car champion who is now an AMG ambassador and was doing pace-car work during track laps in the Gullwing.

It didn't take long before Vettel was also hot-lapping the SLS, sliding it sideways onto the start-finish straight with his girlfriend in the passenger seat. There was no chance for an interview, but he seemed relaxed and 'normal' during a brief chat.

Then it was back to work and I jumped into the SLS and lined up behind Schneider for my final laps at one of the world's most-enjoyable racetracks. He was pushing harder this time and it was fun to watch him at the same time as trying to learn about the limit in the SLS.

Then a silver car pulled out of the pitlane ahead of us. Schneider's right foot went all the way down and we were in a four-car dogfight, with MOTOR magazine editor Andrew MacLean making up the formation.  You guessed it. The car in front was Vettel.

Now Schneider was going for it, as the two ace racers put on an incredible show. It's something I will never forget, because I was there too. Not as quick as them, but still able to hang onto their tails and see how it's done.  Vettel was sideways and fast, Schneider was reeling him in. I was being towed along.

Then we pulled into the pitlane and there were smiles all round. The Gullwing is a great car, as you can read later in today's Carsguide, but those laps will always be among the most memorable in my career.

When Vettel becomes world champion, as he must, I can always say I raced him once at Laguna Seca. He won't remember me, or the day, but I will.

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