Sebastian Vettel, a four-time world champion, will leave Formula 1 at the conclusion of this year.
The 35-year-old said he had “spent a lot of time thinking about it” and that the decision had been “tough.”
At the end of the year, the German stated that he would “take more time to ponder on what I will focus on next.” He declared that prioritising more time with his family was important.
Vettel will retire from racing as one of the most accomplished athletes in history.
Only Lewis Hamilton, Michael Schumacher, and Juan Manuel Fangio have more world championships under their belts than Sebastian Vettel, and only those three athletes have more race victories than his 53.
“Today is not about saying goodbye,” he continued. Instead, it’s about expressing “thank you” to everyone, especially the fans because F1 would not be possible without their ardent support.
Although our results have not been as fantastic as we had wanted, it is extremely evident to me everything was being put together and that a squad needs to race at the very top level for years to come, according to Vettel, who won four straight drivers’ championships with Red Bull from 2010 to 2013.
I will work as hard as I can between now and the end of the year with that aim in mind, giving as always my best in the final 10 races. “I hope that the effort I did last year and am continuing to do this year will be beneficial in the creation of a team that will win in the future.
Vettel had intended to stay with Aston Martin for the upcoming season, but he made the decision to leave the sport.
He has developed into a vocal advocate for social and environmental causes in recent years.
Although Vettel has historically avoided social media, he opened an Instagram account on Thursday, shortly before announcing his retirement, and his biography there refers to him as a “public person.”