Sebastian Vettel is hopeful that he can apply the "approach and ambition" he used in F1 to other challenges following his retirement. The German walked away from the sport at the end of the 2022 season following a 15-year career, during which he achieved four World Championships and 53 race wins. While Vettel has not yet decided on his path going forwards, he believes that the characteristics he developed during his time in Formula 1 can be applied to other pursuits. "No matter the circumstances, I think there's a time for an athlete to move on and do something else," Vettel told the Beyond The Grid podcast. "But I think being ambitious, trying to push limits, you can also challenge [yourself] in different ways other than in a car. "I don't have the expectation that I'll do something else and be amongst the best in the world. I think that would be far-fetched and the wrong sort of approach. "But I do think that the general approach and the ambition can also show in other things, and that's what I'm hopefully going to explore with time and room, to give all these things that I maybe got to know and got to enjoy outside Formula 1 as well."
Vettel: It would be a miracle to be as good at something else
Whatever path he chooses to take, Vettel is not expecting to experience the same levels of success as he did in F1. "You never know, but I think it would be a miracle if I was [as good at something else], because obviously I've done this my entire life," the 35-year-old explained. "I haven't had much time to do much else. I have no degree! So I cannot expect [that of] myself, and I think it would be the wrong approach to say that, 'Yeah, I'm a champion, I'm going be a champion at everything else that I touch.' "I think that's not a realistic approach for me. Whatever it is [that I do next], then I'm starting from scratch. But I think the ambition is natural; you have it as a competitor and it can show in other things, but I don't expect to make the news."
Could Vettel go to university?
When asked if he might go to university, Vettel admitted that he would not rule this out. "Yeah, that's also an option, definitely," the former Aston Martin driver said. "I think there's so much to learn. There's plenty of things that I'm interested in and I would love to give room [to]. At the minute I'm just trying to keep an empty schedule, because I don't want to commit to anything [so that I can] let that side of me come out. "[I'm] curious to learn about myself. I might feel horrible, I might go through a phase where it's really, really difficult. But it's coming at some point anyway [for an athlete], sooner or later, and it feels like the right time. "I have three kids at home, I really enjoy that and I want to see them grow as well, because obviously this job comes with big commitment and the way I do the job is full-on, so it would feel wrong to do it at some sort of halfway just to be part of it or just to be a Formula 1 driver. "I love winning, I love the competition and to win you need to do everything. That's my conviction – if you're not prepared to do everything anymore, then it's time to make room for others."
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