Red Bull boss Christian Horner has revealed how a motorist nearly crashed in disbelief at Formula 1 World Champion Sebastian Vettel herding the “Donkey from Shrek.”
Vettel called time on one of the most successful Grand Prix careers at the end of the 2022 season, ending with 53 race wins and four World Championships to his name following a 16-year stint in F1.
The German achieved 38 of those wins and all his titles at Horner’s Red Bull squad between 2010-2013, before departing for Ferrari in time for the ’15 campaign.
Horner – who believes Vettel could become a driver manager in the future if he so wishes – paid tribute to his former charge, sharing an amusing anecdote about an incident away from the race-track involving a shocked road user and a donkey.
Vettel the shepherd
“He’s just a consummate professional, but he came to us as a young kid with braces and a funny haircut,” Horner told media including RacingNews365.com.
“He just grew in that time as a Red Bull junior and he’s got such an endearing personality.
“He had the ability to mimic and impersonate so many different accents from cockney slang to Nigel Mansell, his Jean Todt was legendary.
“Obviously the last couple of years have been more challenging for him, but it shouldn’t diminish from anything that he has done and achieved as one of the greatest drivers ever in F1.
“There are so many memories away from the track with him. He used to spend quite a bit of time staying at the house.
“I live in the countryside on a farm and [it was lambing season]they were being born in a shed and he wanted to get involved.
“I remember the local farmer turning up with Sebastian helping to pull a couple of lambs out – and he didn’t have a clue who Sebastian was – a four-time World Champion in a sheep shed!
“‘He also took a couple of miniature donkeys for a walk through the village and somebody nearly drove off the road thinking: ‘Is that Sebastian Vettel with the Donkey from Shrek?’
“He’s a really lovely guy, and I think we’ll all miss him.”
