Sebastian Vettel has explained that he's taking a measured approach to the 2022 F1 season, his 15th consecutive full campaign in Formula 1 and 16 years since his debut in a Grand Prix weekend. The four-time World Champion is now one of the elder statesmen of the sport, with whispers about a potential retirement starting to emerge in recent years as Vettel lost his seat with Ferrari before having a tough first year with Aston Martin in 2021. Looking rejuvenated and refreshed at Aston Martin's 2022 car launch on Thursday, Vettel said he's going to evaluate the season as it goes before engaging in talks about a contract renewal with the team – his current contract expires at the end of 2022. "The thing is, I think I've had a while now in the sport," he told media, including RacingNews365.com , from the event. "I had good years and not-so-good years but, mostly I would say good years, great years, with a very competitive car and competitive team. "Now, no doubt, I'm in a very competitive team. The team spirit is great and the goal is clear. We want to progress and win. So, ultimately, having had the path that I have had so far, I'm mostly interested in winning and that will determine what the future brings."
Vettel: I have no cut-off dates in mind
With the Silverstone-based team currently in a medium-term phase of heavy investment, including a new factory build, as owner Lawrence Stroll aims to build up Aston Martin to become championship contenders in the next four to five years, Vettel admitted he simply doesn't know whether he'll be around to reap the rewards of those efforts. "I don't know is the honest answer. This is a new year in many, many ways," he said. "I think we will go step by step. So, I don't know is the answer." Vettel added that he doesn't have any particular goals in mind, and nor has he outlined any performance expectations of Aston Martin in order to keep him interested. "I have no cut-offs in mind and I don't have a number in terms of where the team needs to be or where we need to race," he commented. "I think we will see where we are and then, at some point, we'll start looking a little bit more forward into the future. "I think we focus on the start of the season now and then go from there."
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