German pilot Sebastian Vettel, four-time Formula 1 world champion, announced that he will retire at the end of this season. Vettel, 35, currently drives for the Aston Martin team.
"The decision to leave F1 at the end of the year was difficult to make and I thought a lot about it. At the end of the year, I want to take time to reflect on what I want to do next," Vettel said, quoted in a statement from his team released before the Hungarian GP this weekend.
"As a father, I want to spend more time with my family. It's not about saying goodbye today, but rather saying thank you to everyone, starting with the fans, without whom F1 could not exist," he added.
'Checo' Pérez and F1 drivers react to Sebastian Vettel's retirement
World champion in 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013 when he was with Red Bull, Vettel currently has 53 Grand Prix victories, only surpassed by British driver Lewis Hamilton (103 victories) and his compatriot Michael Schumacher (91).
"My goals have shifted from winning races and Championships to seeing my children grow, passing on my values, and being able to learn from them."
- Sebastian Vettel. Four times an #F1 World Champion, forever a family man. ????
Tap to watch Seb's touching video. ⬇️
After his stint at Ferrari from 2015 to 2020, he signed with Aston Martin in 2021 without having won a race since then.
After a difficult 2021 season in which he finished 12th in the World Championship, Vettel currently occupies 14th place with only 15 points.
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