Sebastian Vettel has announced that he will retire from F1 at the end of the 2022 season, calling time on a decorated career in the top echelon. Vettel recently hinted that a decision over his future was looming after explaining that he planned to talk through his options with his family . He has now settled on retirement, with the 35-year-old German set to walk away after seeing out the second term of his current deal with Aston Martin.
Vettel pays tribute to "many fantastic people"
Announcing the news, Vettel thanked the colleagues he has worked with throughout his career, including those from his final stint at Aston Martin. "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," he said. "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."
Vettel leaves as a legend of the sport
Vettel will retire from F1 as a four-time World Champion, with all of those titles achieved while racing for Red Bull in the early 2010s. He sits third on the all-time list of Grand Prix winners with 53 victories, behind only Lewis Hamilton (103) and Michael Schumacher (91). Alongside his impressive victory tally, Vettel has 122 podiums and 57 pole positions to his name since making his debut back in 2007.
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