Sebastian Vettel, four-time Formula 1 world champion with Red Bull (between 2010 and 2013), will retire at the end of this season, his current team, Aston Martin, has announced. The 35-year-old German has long threatened to quit after campaigns away from the top flight.
“It was a difficult decision to retire and I spent a lot of time thinking about it. At the end of the year I want to take a little more time to think about what I’m going to do next. very clear that as a father I want to spend more time with my family.” Vettel commented in the team’s statement.
And I add: “For the last two years I have been a driver for the Aston Martin team and although our results were not as good as we expected, I am very clear that everything a team needs comes together”.
For his part, the manager of the team, Mike Krak, dedicated great words to him. “Sebastian is an excellent driver, fast, intelligent and strategic, and of course these qualities will be missed. We all learned from him and the knowledge we gained from working with him will continue to benefit our team long after he is gone.”, projection.
Sebastian Vettel’s career numbers
Sebastian Vettel made his Máxima debut in 2007 and has amassed 16 consecutive top-tier campaigns. His first race was with Sauber, where he was a test driver, and then he moved to Toro Rosso. In 2009 he arrived at Red Bull, where he left a legacy: four consecutive championships with absolute dominance.
Ferrari hired him for the 2015 campaign with the aim of reclaiming the throne although, apart from some good moments, it all ended in disappointment: second in 2017 and 2018. After six years with the Italians, Vettel found shelter in Aston Martin.
Ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix on Sunday 31 July, Vettel collects 289 Grands Prixbeing the 7th most tested pilot in all of history. He also has 53 wins (3rd), 122 podium finishes (3rd) and 57 pole positions (4th).
The German belongs to the privileged group of F1 champions with four or more dedications: he is joined only by Michael Schumacher (7), Lewis Hamiton (7), Juan Manuel Fangio (5) and Alain Prost (4).
“Today is not about saying goodbye. Instead, it is about saying thank you, to everyone, especially the fans, without whose passionate support Formula 1 could not exist.” he emphasized.
Who will replace Sebastian Vettel at Aston Martin?
Although it seems a bit rushed, Aston Martin has several drivers in the works to accompany Lance Stroll in 2023. One of the big options is Oscar Piastri, the Australian who is part of the Alpine but without a place in the roast. From the French team they were open to abandoning the former Formula 2 and Formula 3 champion.
