Sebastian Vettel reveals impact of witnessing fatal crash: 'I did not want to race'

Sebastian Vettel has stated that he did “not want to race” at the Belgian Grand Prix in 2019 after witnessing a fatal crash involving Anthoine Hubert.

Hubert succumbed to injuries sustained during the Formula 2 Feature Race at Spa-Francorchamps, which took place shortly after F1's qualifying session.

The Frenchman was involved in a multi-car accident and was struck by Juan Manuel Correa, who could do little to avoid Hubert after he was projected into his path after hitting the barrier.

Writing an article for the New York Times, Vettel detailed that the incident made him question whether he wanted to continue his racing career.

“In more than two decades of racing, there was a single time when I seriously questioned jumping into the car again,” Vettel said.

“It was during the Belgian Grand Prix in August 2019, after a young French driver, Anthoine Hubert, lost his life in a racing accident at age 22.

“I have had accidents myself, but they were fortunately only minor ones. 

“I have seen others crash, too. But that young man had his whole life ahead of him, and it just stopped with all of us watching.”

The build-up to the race was marked with tributes for Hubert, with his good friend and Vettel's team-mate Charles Leclerc going on to win the grand prix.

Vettel ultimately opted to take part in the grand prix, but admitted that the incident changed his perspective on how he viewed racing.

“I called my wife, Hanna, and told her I did not want to race the next day after the accident,” he said. “I slept poorly that night; yet I decided to race. 

“After that weekend, I felt differently about my sport, which I only grasped after I retired. I was never afraid of the speeds, but now I could see them, not just feel them. 

“I began to experience a responsibility that I had not had before. 

“I started to understand that speed, progress and innovation only matter if they move us in the right direction.”

Today, July 1 2026, marks three years to the day that Formula Regional driver Dilano van 't Hoff lost his life on the same section of the Spa-Francorchamps circuit.