Four-time Formula 1 champion and 53-time race winner Sebastian Vettel announced his retirement from the sport July 28.
After creating a verified Instagram account on July 27, Vettel posted a video on the account making the announcement. The German driver cited particularly spending my time with his family as the primary reason for his decision, also citing environmental concerns with continuing to race in the series.
“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 team release.
“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.
“I have really enjoyed working with such a great bunch of people. Everyone – Lawrence, Lance, Martin, Mike, the senior managers, the engineers, the mechanics and the rest of the team – is ambitious, capable, expert, committed and friendly, and I wish them all well.
“I hope that the work I did last year and am continuing to do this year will be helpful in the development of a team that will win in the future, and I will work as hard as I can between now and the end of the year with that goal in mind, giving as always my best in the last 10 races.
“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.
“Rather, it is about saying thank you – to everyone – not least to the fans, without whose passionate support Formula One could not exist.”
The German has 122 podiums since 2008, earning his last one, a second place, in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in 2021.
Vettel’s last victory came in 2019 at the Singapore Grand Prix.
Sign up for the Frontstretch Newsletter
A daily email update (Monday through Friday) providing racing news, commentary, features, and information from Frontstretch.com
We hate spam. Your email address will not be sold or shared with anyone else.
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Frontstretch…