30,000 fans cheer World Champ Sebastian Vettel at home in Heppenheim, Germany
From a Red Bull release
Heppenheim, October 22nd 2011: He earned his second world title on the Formula One circuits of the world, but he was celebrated at home. As in the previous year, Sebastian Vettel wished to celebrate his victory with his fans at his hometown. And that’s why this Saturday, between the races in South Korea and India, Sebastian travelled to “Heppenheim”. Already at noon, Europaplatz square was filled with enthused Vettel supporters, and when he arrived with his Red Bull Racing lady “Kinky Kylie”, the crowd was already in a very festive mood. Everybody wanted to congratulate Sebastian and had ample opportunity to do so. The young German signed countless autographs and answered various questions that announcer Joko Winterscheidt asked him in the name of the fans. “For me it’s the nicest present to celebrate with so many people here in Heppenheim. That’s better than any trophy!”, Vettel said after the reception. “Thanks to everybody who came today.” Like his fans, he had sparkling eyes when he said that.
The scenes that took place on Heppenheim’s Europaplatz square yesterday were reminiscent to a rock concert: cheering fans in the front rows, numerous declarations of love on banners and an intoxicating show on the stage. The “star” everyone cheered for didn’t have any airs and graces but was just as thrilled by the whole spectacle as his fans were. “You’re just amazing!”, the overwhelmed Sebastian Vettel exclaimed when he was welcomed on the stage by German Formula One reporter Felix Goerner. “I would have never expected so many people would come and celebrate with me.”
A long time before Sebastian Vettel arrived at his world champion party, the first fans had appeared at the 44,000 square-metre Heppenheim fairground already in the morning. The front spots were filled soon, and when Heppenheim’s mayor Rainer Burelbach officially opened the party at 4pm, around 30,000 people were already in place.
The crowd went wild when German soul band “Soehne Mannheims” announced the arrival of the German double world champion with the song “Das Hat die Welt Noch Nicht Gesehen” (“The World Hasn’t Seen It Yet”). Then, the stage show of 7 b-boys in Red Bull Racing outfits sent the crowd into raptures. At 5pm, finally the loud noise of an engine came up. Fans listened to the approaching buzz, until Sebastian turned Europaplatz square into a Formula One stage with the ear-battering engine sound of his “Kinky Kylie”. Escorted by police that restricted the speed of the Red Bull Racing car according to the traffic regulations, Sebastian arrived, came to a stop directly at the feet of his fans and stormed the crowd in order to greet his numerous fans personally by hand.
In addition to the fans, Vettel’s motorsports colleagues had come to Heppenheim to join the congratulators DTM champion Martin Tomczyk (GER) and David Coulthard arrived from the neighbouring race circuit of Hockenheim.
At 7pm, Sebastian Vettel left the stage and went for Soehne Mannheims who played a last song. Then, he said goodbye to his German fans signing more autographs. “It was really great to meet Sebastian. I stood in the first row and got an autograph”, an 11-year-old fan proudly reported. And Sebastian Vettel was over the moon, too: “Today really was a fantastic day for me and I’m absolutely excited that Heppenheim’s citizens are supporting me like this.”
