VIDEO: The World's Most Famous Athlete Celebrated His Greatest MomentToday. No, You've Probably Never Heard Of Him

How ’bout that Sebastian Vettel? Sebastian who?

Probably the world’s most famous athlete, who celebrated the greatest achievement of his career this weekend.

Vettel, the 26-year-old German clinched his fourth consecutive Formula One World Driver’s Championship today in India. Vettel became only the third driver in history to win four titles in a row–Germany’s Michael Schumacher and Argentina’s Juan Manuel Fangio are the others. And given that many Formula One drivers don’t even reach the big time until their mid-20s, Vettel, the youngest champion ever and the youngest race winner ever, seems poised to re-write the sport’s record books.

Formula One racing is arguably the world’s most popular sport. Soccer attracts more total fans, but also plays far more games. F1, by contrast, contests just 19 races over the course of the season. All of which makes Vettel one of the world’s most recognizable athletes.

And yet you’ve probably never heard of him. F1 is merely a blip on the American motorsports landscape. There is a U.S. Grand Prix which will be held in Austin next month, perhaps to be joined by a New York-area race next year, but there are no American drivers in the series, and the last U.S. driver to win a race was Mario Andretti in 1978, the year he became the second American to win the World Championship.

Vettel, for his part, is an interesting figure, remarkably successful, but he doesn’t inspire the passion–or rake in the money–like previous Grand Prix greats. He is liked, but perhaps not well liked. After winning the race in India, he opened up about being booed several times on the podium earlier this season. Other drivers with far less impressive resumes–Britain’s Lewis Hamilton, Spain’s Fernando Alonzo, and Kimi Raikkonen of Finland, who own four titles among them–are more deeply loved by their fans or deeply hated by their detractors. Like NASCAR’s Jimmie Johnson, Vettel just wins races and championships.

The sport’s cognescenti have been slow to rank Vettel among greats of all time, although the numbers argue to the contrary. Only Fangio with five and Schumacher with seven have more titles than Vettel. With 36 wins in 117 starts, Vettel sports a career winning percentage of over 30 percent, best among modern drivers. And Vettel seems to be at the very top of his game right now, winning 10 0f the 16 races so far this season, including six in a row, three short of the all-time record.

The Vettel’s less-than-compelling persona–widely known but neither loved nor hated–is reflected in his bank account. The late Ayrton Senna and then Michael Schumacher were among the highest-paid athletes in the world, with Schumacher making around $30 million in salary alone in his last season–comfortably out earning Yankee slugger Alex Rodriguez who had the highest salary in American sports–and a total of around $800 million over his entire career.

Vettel, by contrast, isn’t even the highest paid driver in F1. That distinction goes to Fernando Alonzo, a two-time champion who’s earning around $28 million from Ferrari. Coupled with a modest $2 million in endorsements, Alonzo ranks 19th on Forbes list of highest-paid athletes.Lewis Hamilton takes in about $26 million to drive for Mercedes, putting him 26th on theForbes list. (By contrast, Jimmie Johnson makes $17.3 million to contest a 36 points-paying races in a Sprint Cup season.) undefined

Vettel, for his part, earns a relatively modest  $17 million a year, making him a flat-out bargain for Red Bull. (With $1 million in endorsements, Vettel’s total earnings of $18 million put him at #89 on the Forbes list of highest-paid athletes.)  That should change soon enough. Vettel is signed with Red Bull through next season, when his Red Bull contract expires and he becomes a free agent.

While Vettel seems likely to have more success and make lots more money in seasons to come, his dominance may be working against him building a brand. Senna won his fan base through epic duels with teammate Alain Prost. (And sadly cemented his legacy with his death in 1994.)  Schumacher’s popularity skyrocketed when he began winning championships for Ferrari, the team with the sport’s most passionate fans. Both of those routes to fan’s hearts–a stirring battle with a popular teammate or a ride in a red car–seem open to Vettel.

Vettel could consider Mercedes where he’d likely team with Hamilton. The British driver had a stormy relationship with Alonzo when they were both with the powerful McLaren team. A similar tussle with the 2008 World Champion could boost Vettel’s popularity immensely. Ferrari, bankrolled by FIAT’s deep pockets, is an even more intriguing suitor. Both of the team’s driver’s slots are filled for the next two years, with Alonzo and newly signed Raikkonen under contract through 2016. But in F1 contracts are made to be broken. The temptation of the world’s greatest driver following his idol Schumacher into the sport’s most legendary team might prove too much to resist.

Until he finds that missing X-factor in the form of a legendary rival or a legendary car, expect the great Sebastian Vettel to continue winning races and titles, but, sadly, not hearts and minds.

Forbes [source]