Four-time Formula 1 world champion Sebastian Vettel has announced that he will retire from racing at the end of this season in order to spend more time with his family.
Vettel, 35, won the F1 title from 2010 to 2013 with the Red Bull team. His last race victory came with Ferrari in 2019.
This season, he is teaming up with Quebec driver Lance Stroll in the Aston Martin team. He has had little success so far this season, with his best finish being sixth place. He sits 11th in the driver standings for the current season.
“The decision to retire was difficult for me and I spent a lot of time thinking about it,” Vettel said. At the end of the year, I want to take more time to think about what to focus on next; it’s very clear to me that as a father, I want to spend more time with my family. »
Vettel has won 53 races, the third highest tally in F1 behind Lewis Hamilton (103) and Michael Schumacher (91). He set a record by winning 13 races in 2013.
The German driver became the youngest world champion in 2010, at the age of 23. He then became the third driver to win four consecutive titles, after Juan Miguel Fangio and Michael Schumacher. Hamilton has since joined this select group.
“I love this sport. He has been central to my life since I don’t know when, Vettel wrote in his Instagram post. But as much as there is life on the track, there is also life off the track. I was never just a pilot. »
Vettel’s attempts to win another title with Ferrari failed after a promising start, due to mistakes under pressure. He led the drivers’ standings halfway through the 2017 season and was among the contenders the following year, but he gave up on each occasion ahead of Hamilton. He suffered an accident in Singapore in 2017 after starting from the lead position and foolishly crashed into the wall the following year at the German Grand Prix.
He was surprised when Ferrari did not renew his contract after he had a difficult season alongside Charles Leclerc in 2019 and then in 2020. He then considered retirement, but signed a contract with Racing Point in 2021.
Alongside Hamilton, Vettel is one of the most vocal drivers on human rights in countries where some F1 races are held and environmental issues.
“I’m tolerant and I believe we all have the same right to love,” he said. I believe in change, progress and that every small step makes a difference. »