Vettel announces retirement from F1
Vettel announces retirement from F1
Sebastian Vettel, a four-time world champion, has announced his decision to retire from Formula One.
After weeks of rumours regarding his future, Vettel has officially stated he will retire from racing at the end of 2022.
Vettel made the announcement through his Instagram account, launched on Thursday. Before the statement, the German driver had not used social media during his F1 career.
He made it plain that he wanted to spend more time with his family and concentrate on other interests he had developed.
“Next to racing, I have grown a family who I love being around. I’ve grown other interests outside of Formula One,” Vettel said.
Vettel has become more vocal in recent years on social and environmental issues. He recently stated his ambivalence about participating in F1, a sport with a significant carbon footprint due to the required air travel.
Next to racing, I have grown a family who I love being around. I've grown other interests outside of Formula One
“Speaking of the future, I feel we live in very decisive times. And how we all shape these next years will determine our lives. My passion comes with certain aspects that I have learned to dislike. They might be solved in the future, but the will to apply that change has to grow much, much stronger and has to be leading to action today. Talk is not enough and we cannot afford to wait. There is no alternative. The race is underway. My best race is still to come. I believe in moving forward and moving on. Time is a one way street and I want to go with the times.”
With 53 race victories and 122 podium finishes over his 15-year career, Vettel is one of the sport’s most successful drivers. He won all his championships with Red Bull between 2010 and 2013. Vettel made his Formula 1 debut in 2007, and at the age of 23 years and 134 days, when he won his first championship, he became the sport’s youngest world champion.
The 35-year-old German, now competing for Aston Martin following a six-year run with Ferrari, has more victories outside just Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher.
His last race, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in November, will represent the 300th of his career; just six other drivers have accomplished this feat.
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