Formula 1 title contender and April's EDGE Performer of the Month

Sebastian Vettel may not be leading the Formula 1 World Championship, but he has proven himself to be the most consistently-quick driver in the field this year, even against a grid of opponents that includes Fernando Alonso, Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton.

Vettel added to his victory in the Malaysian Grand Prix with pole position and a sixth place in China, making him not only the number one driver in the Castrol Rankings, but also the EDGE Performer of the Month for April.

The 22-year-old German ace edged out Sebastien Loeb, who won both World Rally Championship rounds in April, and his own Red Bull F1 team-mate Mark Webber, to claim the honours.

It is also the first time this year that an F1 driver has taken EDGE Performer of the Month status on their own, Fernando Alonso having shared the March award with IndyCar Series leader Will Power.

After winning a BMW scholarship fund, Vettel made his race debut in Formula BMW Germany in 2003 and immediately showed his talent by winning on only his third start at Adria.

He won four more times that year on his way to the runner-up spot in the championship, and went one better the following season as he won 18 of the 20 races and dominated the series.

For 2005 he moved up to the F3 Euro Series and won the Rookie of the Year title in his first season. He also had his first taste of F1 machinery at the age of 18 as he tested for Williams - his prize for winning the FBMW crown in his homeland.

It was the following season though in which he truly arrived on the international scene, with his runner-up spot in the F3 Euro Series and two wins from three races in the World Series by Renault almost becoming an afterthought.

This was because after Jacques Villeneuve's sacking from the BMW Sauber F1 squad and Robert Kubica's promotion to a race seat as a result, Vettel was named as the team's official test driver from the Turkish Grand Prix onwards.

With F1 rules allowing test drivers to compete in Friday practice sessions at grands prix, Vettel was able to gain crucial mileage during the latter half of the year and became the youngest man to top an official F1 session in Turkey.

He made his F1 race debut at Indianapolis the following year in place of Kubica, who had been injured the previous week in an horrific shunt in Canada, and surprised the establishment by qualifying seventh and finishing eighth - becoming the youngest points scorer in World Championship history in the process.

All the while, he remained under a Red Bull management contract, its young driver co-ordinator Helmut Marko clearly spotting his potential from an early age. Following the sacking of Scott Speed from Red Bull's B-team, Scuderia Toro Rosso, Vettel was given a race seat for the final seven races of the season.

Fourth place in a wet/dry Chinese Grand Prix came his way and helped him secure a full-time F1 race seat with the team for '08.

The baby-faced assassin became the youngest winner in F1 history when he triumphed from pole at that year's Italian Grand Prix and continued his imperious rise the following season as he was moved to Red Bull Racing.

He took the team's first GP win in China last year and finished second in the World Championship behind Jenson Button. His start to the 2010 season has been even more impressive, with three pole positions from four races and victory in Malaysia.