The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was the finale for the 2022 F1 season and tributes have been coming in all weekend for Sebastian Vettel who is retiring from the sport.
The F1 legend started off as a test driver for BMW Sauber in 2006 and then made his debut in 2007 as part of the Toro Rosso team, now AlphaTauri. In 2009, he was promoted to the Red Bull team and during his time with them he won four consecutive world championships and was the youngest driver to win a championship, at the time. The German driver then moved to Ferrari in 2015 and then to Aston Martin in 2020.
As well as tributes for Vettel, many are recognising the woman who has been by his side throughout the majority of his career and has been a crucial part of his journey, Britta Roeske.
Taking to Twitter, Females In Motorsport wrote:
“While fans across the globe dread Vettel’s retirement from racing, we cannot fail to bid farewell to Britta Roeske.
“During her incredible career, Britta has shaped the history of women in motorsport, becoming an integral part of it.”
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F1 journalist, Will Buxton, also wrote:
“Agree 100%. Britta has been by Seb’s side for almost his entire F1 career. She’s been such a huge part of his journey in F1 and has shaped her own unique path alongside his.
“We had a big hug on the grid today and I hope it won’t be our last. A lovely person and exquisite pro.”
Roeske joined Red Bull Racing in 2005 and started working with Vettel in 2010 as his Press Relations Manager. She managed all of Vettel’s public appearances over the F1 weekend and also vetted all of the questions asked by journalists. Roeske became a staple within the paddock and was branded by the media the “PR Queen” and has inspired many other women in the industry.
Roeske has been by Vettel’s side from team to team and is the one PR Manager that is employed by the driver. She successfully smoothed out any controversial moments for the driver and managed to disperse any drama. One big moment that comes to mind is when Vettel ignored team orders in at the 2013 Malaysian Grand Prix. He started in pole but his teammate Mark Webber ended up running in first, we heard Vettel being told by the team to not overtake Webber but he went ahead and battled with his teammate and eventually got the overtake done to win the Grand Prix.
It was announced that Vettel would be moving to Ferrari in 2015 and he took Roeske with him. Throughout the years, Roeske has ended up taking on more roles for Vettel, looking over all of his commitments, building and managing his brand image. When Vettel moved to Aston Martin in 2020, he said “If I continue, she continues” which shows just how important she is to the German driver.
Roeske successfully created the brand image for the much-loved driver who will be incredibly missed from the sport. With Vettel’s retirement, questions have been raised over what Roeske will do next. According to F1FAll, Martin Brundle spoke with her during his grid walk for…
Read More: F1 News: This Woman Has Supported Sebastian Vettel Throughout His Career – F1 2022-11-21 21:00:00