Formula One legend Sebastian Vettel has decided to retire from the sport after the end of this year. He is the driver of the Aston Martin team and is the face of the revival of the team. Vettel won all four of his championships with Red Bull between 2010 and 2013 and is the all-time third-highest Grand Prix winner with 53 victories. The German, who races alongside Lance Stroll, announced that this year will be his last.
In a post on his newly-made Instagram account, he said that he had the privilege of working with many fantastic people in Formula One. He acknowledged that even though he didn’t get the right results for Aston Martin in the last couple of years, he is clear that the team does well in the years to come. He added that he enjoyed working with Lawrence and Lance Stroll, and senior managers such as Martin Whitmarsh and Mike Krack.
“I have had the privilege of working with many fantastic people in Formula 1 over the past 15 years – there are far too many to mention and thank,” said Vettel. “Over the past two years I have been an Aston Martin 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 [Stroll], Lance [Stroll], Martin [Whitmarsh], Mike [Krack], 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.
The four-time champion further said that the decision to retire was difficult for him and thanked the fans for the immense support.
“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 1 could not exist,” Vettel wrote on Instagram.
