What odds on Vettel being stopped?

Sky Bet's Jonathan Witty considers the likelihood of Sebastian Vettel's dominance being halted in 2012...

Sebastian Vettel is on the cusp on becoming one of the greatest Formula One drivers of all time and is potentially just a season away from joining the sport's elite list. Eight drivers have been crowned World Champion on three occasions, but only three man have ever been able to complete a hat-trick of titles in successive years. Following back-to-back victories in 2010 and 2011 the German star can join compatriot Michael Schumacher and Argentine legend Juan Manuel Fangio with three wins on the bounce and help to maintain Red Bull Racing's dominance. Vettel is 13/2 to win 13 or more races in 2012 and break the record set by Schumacher in 2004, but can the chasing pack catch the fastest 24-year-old on the planet? Vettel is even money with online betting company Sky Bet to win the Drivers' Championship this season, with McLaren duo Lewis Hamilton (5/1) and Jenson Button (7/1) next in the betting, with Ferrari star Fernando Alonso available at 15/2. Hamilton has admitted that he allowed himself to be distracted by events away from the track last season and is determined to make up for it in 2012, and he will be hoping McLaren's improved car will help him achieve his potential. Last season, both Hamilton and Button were hampered by problems with the exhaust in the early stages of the season, and despite murmurings from the McLaren camp that suggests they are in a far superior position, Sky Bet believe that they will be second-best once again in the 2012 Constructors' Championship. Predictably, Red Bull are 5/6 favourites to win their third Constructors' Championship, with McLaren 13/8 to break the cycle and Ferrari a distant third favourites at 8/1. This season represents the strongest field there has ever been as there will be six World Champions on the starting grid in Melbourne. Kimi Raikkonen has returned from three years away from the sport to join Lotus and although he will surely be out of the title reckoning, he can be backed to win a race in 2012. The 2007 World Champion has enjoyed a two-year stint in the World Rally Championship, as well as a brief dalliance with NASCAR team NEMCO Motorsports, broadening his driving experience. He is 11/4 to win a race in 2012, with Schumacher available at 3/1 to take his first chequered flag since his return to the sport and Nico Rosberg 5/2 to win his first F1 race. In Sky Bet's other specials, a season tricast of Vettel 1st, Alonso 2nd and Hamilton 3rd is 12/1, while a repeat of last season's standings- Vettel 1st, Button 2nd and Webber 3rd - is available at 50/1. Whether Vettel can be stopped remains to be seen, but gaining an early advantage will be crucial and all eyes will on the starting grid in Melbourne in the early hours of Sunday morning.