Vettel: I Name Thee Kate’s Dirty Sister
2009 SeasonAsides

Vettel: I Name Thee Kate’s Dirty Sister

Oliver White
19th April, 2009
18 comments
2 min read

Something slightly quirky that came out of the Chinese Grand Prix weekend was the fact that eventual race winner Sebastian Vettel names his cars. This all came about when a photo was released showing a make-shift sticker placed across the bridge of Vettel’s steering wheel. The words read ‘Kate’s Dirty Sister’ and was only seen on Vettel’s Red Bull. A few questions buzzed around the Internet and an answer didn’t come my way until Martin Brundle started his usual grid walk and managed to catch Sebastian slightly off-guard…

According to a rather embarrassed Sebastian on the Shanghai grid, the young German likes to name his cars. Vettel said to Martin Brundle and David Coulthard that he treats ladies well and looks after them, therefore he names his cars after ladies because he likes to treat his cars in the same way.

Vettel said that the car he used in Australia was named Kate, but after his incident with Kubica, the chassis was trashed and he was given a new one. Due to updates being made to the RB5, his Malaysian and Chinese chassis was faster and more aggressive, so he and the team decided to call it Kate’s Dirty Sister.

Like a ship, a car should be named after a girl as it’s sexy.

My original car was called Kate. But then it got smashed at the opening race in Australia. So we called this one Kate’s Dirty Sister because it is more aggressive and faster. Sebastian Vettel.

And boy did Kate’s Dirty Sister do well! Driver’s often have silly little superstitions; Alex Wurz wore a different coloured boot on each foot and Felipe Massa apparently has his lucky boxer shorts which he won with in Brazil 2007. It is almost certain that Sebastian will not want to give up Kate’s Dirty Sister now he has managed to go all the way to victory with her. I’m sure Vettel will be treating this particular chassis very well from now on.

Via Sidepodcast and The Red Bullog.

Image © Getty Images.

18 comments

  • I think it’s condescendingly macho… “I treat my cars like I treat my ladies” Gimme a break!

  • CRAP!!! I feel my fan meeter moving away from Hamilton and toward Vettel. He’s just so laid back and cool. The RB team is also a true racing team without all the stupid manufacturer politics and stuffiness. Besides anyone how puts dry ice down his pants to keep essential parts cool, names his car Kate’s Dirty Sister, and can compete with the best of the F1 Drivers…. Yep, I think I’m going to cheer for Vettel.. In fact I think that I’ll go out and buy a red bull right now.

    Phil

  • I think that’s cute ! I’ve always named all my cars, cos cars are people too 😉

    I know people who name their cars as well, although I don’t do it myself. But if I did, I wouldn’t think to call it xyz’s dirty sister.

    I think it’s condescendingly macho… “I treat my cars like I treat my ladies” Gimme a break!

    Should just add that while it is a bit condescending, Vettel was clearly embarrassed about the question Brundle put to him and wasn’t entirely comfortable with answering in front of the camera. I think he was also playing up a bit as Coulthard was there as well, and Vettel made a remark about DC being ‘the man who knows about the ladies’ or words to that effect.

    I have looked for a video of Brundle’s gridwalk so you can see how he answered this for yourselves. I can’t find one at the moment but if someone knows of a YouTube (or similar) video which includes Vettel’s interview on the Shanghai grid, please share a link in the comments and I’ll make sure it gets embedded.

    Besides anyone how puts dry ice down his pants to keep essential parts cool, names his car Kate’s Dirty Sister, and can compete with the best of the F1 Drivers…. Yep, I think I’m going to cheer for Vettel.

    He also comes across as a really genuine guy. The kind you wouldn’t mind sitting in a pub with and having a conversation with. So far, it doesn’t look as though the fame and fortune has gone to his head. Although he is at the beginning of his career, so there is plenty of time for it to go wrong. But not taking yourself too seriously in a sport that takes itself way too seriously is commendable in my book.

  • […] Non sto a farvi il resoconto della gara ovviamente, se vi fate un salto su F1GrandPrix o su F1Fanatic troverete tutto fatto meglio di come potrei farlo io e corredato di foto. Curioso il caso di Vettel e della sorella sporca di Kate! […]

  • Heh.

    Funny I name my cars too, give it more a sexy appeal and personality. Poor “Kate” suffered an abusive aggravation by Vettel when smashed into Kubica. As for “Kate’s dirty sister” I guess she performs well with Vettel when wet! LOL.

  • As for “Kate’s dirty sister” I guess she performs well with Vettel when wet!

    Erm, well… it’s hard to argue with that to be honest. And, well, erm… yeah, I think I’ll leave it there. 😛

  • I still think it is an anagram put there to motivate him. Something to with KERS but I have no idea what.

  • That’s funny. I am growing to like Vettel more and more each race…

    On the anagram of Kate’s Dirty Sister… try this one ‘Disaster Tyres Kit’ maybe Kimi should have name his car that….

  • – I was hoping that Vettel would be a bit more lewd; “You have to slip in slowly but carefully, push all the right buttons, and then ride her hard”.

  • I disagree with Maciek’s comment–> ‘I think it’s condescendingly macho… “I treat my cars like I treat my ladies” ‘

    If he’d said he treats his ladies like he treats his cars, that would be another matter, but he expressed how he “like(s) to treat ladies well and look after them” first, THEN said that he likes to treat his cars with the same care, thus making the ladies of dominant importance in the comparison. I thought it was more the matter of anthropomorphising the cars, not objectifying the women.

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