BMW had Sebastian Vettel under contract with a promised F1 seat, then let him walk because they didn't think he was fast enough. In a new ARD documentary, the four-time world champion says the manufacturer lost faith after his 2007 stint as injury cover at Sauber, where whispers circulated that "Sebastian wasn't that fast." Vettel admits he needed time to click, and BMW never laid out a clear path forward. That opened the door for Red Bull. Helmut Marko jumped: "Thank God the people at Sauber weren't convinced." Dietrich Mateschitz made the call himself—give the kid a shot. Vettel won Monza for Toro Rosso in 2008, moved up to Red Bull in 2009, and claimed his first title in 2010. BMW withdrew from the sport that same year, having passed on the driver who would define the next era. Vettel chalks some of it up to luck, but adds that luck is mostly in your own hands if you deliver.
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