"I never dreamt of being on pole"- Sebastian Vettel reminisces creating history with Toro Rosso at Italian GP

Sebastian Vettel has said that he never dreamt of qualifying in pole in the 2008 Italian GP, which turned out to be his first win in F1.

The German had an interaction with motorsport.com during the Italian GP in Monza last weekend to reminisce his glorious career and his great relationship with the track.

His last race weekend at Monza did not turn out as well he would have hoped to, as a power unit failure curtailed his involvement prematurely. Recapping the race Vettel said:

“The fans were great, which was nice, so we’ll take that. Coming into the track was definitely nice, but obviously the driving wasn’t a highlight.”

Vettel also recalled telling his Toro Rosso engineers in 2008 that he could get pole at his 'home' GP if the conditions were wet.

“I was joking with my engineers, we were saying if it is wet, then we have to go for pole position," he said. "It’s unbelievable. The conditions were so difficult today, a lot of water. You never knew how much water to expect. I never dreamt of being on pole."

He continued:

"Unbelievable. This is our home grand prix. There are two Italian teams. The bigger one is Scuderia Ferrari but I think now the people know the small one: Scuderia Toro Rosso. So it is unbelievable.”

He added:

“Sometimes I was thinking, ‘there is still P1 on my board, how can it be?’” he admitted after the race. “I am fuelled to finish; there is nothing, no pitstops, so just keep it together.”

Looking back on that eventful race at Monza, Vettel said that his lap that day was his best-ever lap at the Italian GP. He said:

“When I crossed the chequered flag, I realised I had just won the race, it was unbelievable to see all the people going crazy around the circuit. It was the best lap I ever did in Monza. Obviously it was not the fastest, but for sure it was the best one.”

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2008 Italian GP win was very special: Sebastian Vettel

Vettel was asked where his 2008 Monza win would rank in his career. The German said that he has been fortunate enough to rack up 53 wins, but his first win would always be special and hold a special pride of place in his heart. He said:

“I would say the first one is very special. Also the circumstances: it was a bit of a miracle and fairy tale, pulling it off with a pole and then the race win. So yeah, it was very special.”

The German has announced his retirement from the sport at the end of the season.