As the paddock gets ready to disperse for the summer break, there is a far bigger departure looming after former Scuderia Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel confirmed earlier today that he does not intend to continue his Formula 1 career after the current season.
The German driver remains third on the all-time winners’ list with 53 victories to date (14 for the Maranello team) and is still the youngest world champion we have ever seen. Sebastian Vettel’s final race in Abu Dhabi will be his 300th entry, but before then will come plenty of opportunities to reflect on an outstanding career, which unfortunately was not marked by a Formula 1 title with Scuderia Ferrari, after the four won with Red Bull.
Sebastian Vettel will leave Formula 1 in order to spend more time with his young family, explaining that his goals “have shifted from winning races and fighting for championships to seeing my children grow, passing on my values, helping them up when they fall, listening to them when they need me, not having to say goodbye, and most importantly, being able to learn from them and let them inspire me.” – he said, in a video posted on Instagram earlier today.
First comes the chance to thank Seb for the memories and to praise a true Formula 1 great for all he has achieved. His former Maranello teammate wanted to pay tribute to Sebastian Vettel on social media, posting via Instagram: “What a person and what a driver. We will miss you Sebastian.”
Ferrari junior Mick Schumacher is very close friends with Sebastian Vettel, viewing the Aston Martin driver as an inspiration and mentor – in the same way Seb viewed Mick’s father, the legendary seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher: “I’m so sad that you’re leaving, but at the same time excited for you and this new chapter of your life. You’ve been and still are such an important person to me and I’m thankful for our friendship.” – Ferrari junior Mick Schumacher posted on his Twitter account after Sebastian Vettel officially confirmed his retirement from Formula 1.
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