A continuing but finite surge
Then in the 2012 season, Sebastian Vettel became the youngest driver to win three titles before winning his fourth title in a row in the 2013 season, a season during which he tied Michael Schumacher for the all-time single season record with 13 wins. As referenced above, he also became the youngest driver to ever win four titles.
However, after a four-year span during which he won 34 races, Vettel went without a win in the 2014 season, his final season driving for Red Bull Racing, before winning three races in the 2015 season, his first season driving for Ferrari, and going winless again in the 2016 season.
In each of those three seasons, Vettel failed to break the 3rd place tie on the all-time championships list with Alain Prost, and he still trailed Michael Schumacher, who won seven titles, and Juan Manuel Fangio, who won five, heading into the 2017 season.
The 2017 season started out with great promise for Vettel. In fact, he won three of the first six races of the season and finished in 2nd place in the other three to widen his lead in the championship standings.
Vettel went on to lead the championship standings for much of the season and appeared to have a great chance to win his fifth career championship and tie Juan Manuel Fangio for 2nd on the all-time list behind only Michael Schumacher. But it was not to be.