Four-time Formula One world champion, Sebastian Vettel, has announced that he would retire from the sport at the end of the 2022 season on Thursday, 28 July.
Taking to Instagram, the 35-year-old said, “I hereby announce my retirement from Formula One at the end of the 2022 season.”
The announcement comes a day after the driver for Aston Martin-Aramco Cognizant F1 team joined the social media site on Wednesday evening. Prior to the announcement, the German had spent the entirety of his F1 career without an online presence.
"The decision to retire has been a difficult one for me to take, and I have spent a lot of time thinking about it; at the end of the year I want to take some more time to reflect on what I will focus on next. It is very clear to me that, being a father, I want to spend more time with my family. But today is not about saying goodbye,” the German said.
Vettel's Star-Studded Career
Vettel joined the Aston Martin outfit at the start of 2021 after leaving Ferrari, where he had driven since 2015 but failed. Vettel became Formula One’s youngest world champion when he 23 years and 134 days old after winning the championship in 2010 with Red Bull Racing. His career at Red Bull Racing saw Vettel win four consecutive drivers championships.
The German made his debut with BMW Sauber during the 2007 United States Grand Prix.
"I have had the privilege of working with many fantastic people in Formula One over the past 15 years – there are far too many to mention and thank,” Vettel said in a statement released on the team’s website.
"Over the past two years I have been an Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant Formula One Team driver - and, although our results have not been as good as we had hoped, it is very clear to me that everything is being put together that a team needs to race at the very highest level for years to come.”Sebastian Vettel
Till date, Vettel gathered 53 career wins – 38 with Red Bull and 14 with Ferrari – and 122 podiums, with his debut win at the 2008 Italian Grand Prix with Toro Rosso.
An Outspoken Advocate in the Paddock
The German driver is a staunch ally of the LGBTQIA+ community and has expressed support through his clothes and accessories during race weekends. He is also an advocate for environment conservation, deforestation, and anti-racism.
Recently, at the 2022 Canadian Grand Prix, Vettel highlighted the country’s mining of tar sands and wore a helmet displaying imagery of the ecological damage caused by such mining.
He also sported a “Miami 2060 – first grand prix underwater – Act Now or Swim Later" T-shirt prior to the Miami Grand Prix in May this year.
Vettel has also been an outspoken advocate for climate change and at some moments, has been labelled a “hypocrite,” given the ecological impact of his profession and his team being sponsored by Saudi oil giant Aramco.
Speaking on BBC Question Time, a panel discussion television show for politicians and celebrity guests, the German was asked if his position on the environment made him a hypocrite due to his influence in a “gas-guzzling” sport.
"Certain things are in my control and certain things are not. It's my passion to drive a car, I love it and every time I step in the car I love it,” the 35 year-old father of three said.
"When I get out of the car, of course I'm thinking as well 'Is this something that we should do, travel the world, wasting resources?” Vettel added.
The ace racer has also not backed away from speaking on Brexit, the Russian attack on Ukraine and the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's involvement in a "partygate" scandal over breaches of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.
F1 Community Reacts to the Announcement
British Formula One broadcaster Will Buxton took to Twitter and said, “I’ve long held Seb to be one of the most morally guided people I’ve ever met in racing."
"His retirement announcement is as genuine and principled as the man himself," Buxton added.
Formula One correspondent and presenter Lawrence Barretto also took to Twitter and said:
"Sebastian Vettel is one of F1's greats. He's always fun to interview, generous with his time and at his most animated when we're talking about things other than F1, like the Sunday papers, British comedy, food, the environment. I'm sad he's leaving but what a legacy"Formula One correspondent and presenter Lawrence Barretto
Statement from the Aston Martin F1 Team
Aston Martin chief Lawrence Stroll said:
“I want to thank Sebastian from the bottom of my heart for the great work that he has done for Aston Martin over the past year and a half. We made it clear to him that we wanted him to continue with us next year, but in the end he has done what he feels is right for himself and his family, and of course we respect that."Lawrence Stroll
“He will continue to race for us up to and including the 2022 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, which will be his 300th Grand Prix entry. We will give him a fabulous send-off," the Canadian added.
Team Principal Mike Krack, calling Vettel a "fast, intelligent and strategic" said, "Sebastian is a superb driver – fast, intelligent and strategic – and of course we are going to miss those qualities."
"When we become fully competitive – and we will – one of the architects of that future success will be Sebastian, and we will always be grateful to him for that," Krack added.
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