Vettel’s Turkish triumph leaves German flying high

Germany's latest Formula 1 sensation Sebastian Vettel was all smiles yesterday after he completed a third Grand Prix victory in four races with another dominant display in Turkey, but the mood was far more sombre in the camp of former-Bavarian golden boy Michael Schumacher after he admitted he is no longer enjoying racing.

Vettel is celebrating a fantastic start to the season, and his imperious form has already given the young German a 34-point lead over Lewis Hamilton in the driver's standings.

Leading from the front yet again after qualifying in poll position, Vettel produced 58 laps of serene driving to comfortably win the race, pipping fellow Red Bull teammate Mark Webber to the finishing line by eight seconds. The 23-year-old – who became the youngest ever championship winner last year – already seems well on his way to a second title.

"He is flawless at the moment," David Coulthard told the BBC. "He is setting the standards in qualifying and how to win a Grand Prix." Jenson Button, who finished sixth behind Alonso, Hamilton and Rosberg, put it more simply: "We are all racing for second place".

What would the beleaguered Michael Schumacher give for a second place finish?

Vettel's dominance has earned him the nickname 'baby Schumi', in honour of his mentor and fellow countryman, yet Schumacher could hardly look less like the man who won seven title in 15 years at his peak. Indeed, the only time he looked like his old self came in qualifying when he appeared to try and block Lewis Hamilton - but that is not the side of his character that people hoped to see when he came out of retirement.

Having returned to Formula 1 last season with a three-year Mercedes deal, the German has failed to truly compete, finishing in 12th place yesterday. Mediocrity does not come naturally to the former great, and his poor form appears to be taking its toll on Schumacher's optimism. "The big joy is not there right now," he said despondently.

Commentators are now questioning how long Schumacher will stick with F1. "I felt just a glimmer of sadness," said Eddie Jordan. "He's very human, he's very, very honest - he's clearly not enjoying it and the results are showing why he's not enjoying it. He has a couple of big decisions to make in the next couple of months."

David Coulthard voiced similar doubts. "He's not performing at the same level of his team-mate, that's a fact," the BBC's F1 commentator said. "The statistics show Nico Rosberg is getting more out of that car than Michael Schumacher. I don't think we should write Michael off by any stretch of the imagination - there's a lot of talent there - but he must be asking himself questions." ·