(Motorsport) Four time Formula 1 World Champion Sebastian Vettel announced his retirement at the end of the 2022 season yesterday on Instagram. The German will leave behind a legacy that exceeds what happens on the track, campaigning for causes such as anti-racism, LGBTQ+ rights, human rights and more. He also admitted that the sport’s impact on global warming was testing his determination to remain a Formula 1 driver in the future and the 35 year old has also been a mentor for a number of drivers on the grid.
A name synonymous with Sebastian Vettel has been Lewis Hamilton. The pair made their debut in 2007 and have shared a podium more times than any other racing drivers in the history of the sport. The two were at the forefront of taking the knee during the 2020 season to protest against racial injustice, diversity and human rights. Paying tribute to Vettel on social media, Hamilton said “There's no lack of bravery in Sebastian. He has been one of the very, very few drivers in racing history that has stood for much more than himself.
“He's used his voice in things that I've fought for and stood by me, he's taken the knee, he's gone on his own journey and stood on the grid and fought for things that he believed in, and for the greater good. I think he's just a really beautiful human being and I'm really grateful to have been here in a time that he was racing. Watching his World Championships was impressive. I'm sad to have arrived today and seen the news, but I know whatever he goes and does beyond this is going to be even better."
Several other drivers paid tribute to Vettel with his former teammate Charles Leclerc, who raced alongside the German for Scuderia Ferrari between 2019 and 2020 saying “Definitely a legend of this sport. For me, I've spent two years in the same team as Sebastian and I've grown a lot as a driver and as a person. I went through this path together with him, so he has seen me change as a person, which I think there's a special connection as a result of. He's always been super nice and this is what I'll miss most about Seb, is just the person that he is. Just a simple, very nice guy. I hope he will still come to see us in the races next year.”
Australian Formula 1 driver Daniel Ricciardo, who was Vettel’s teammate in 2014 at Red Bull said “It's in a way sad of course because you're losing a bit of a legend of the sport really. Obviously personally, I spent some time alongside him which was a privilege. I learned a lot in 2014 alongside him and even before that, being a reserve driver and just being around the team and watching how he would work. He had a lot of good traits and a way to get people behind him and rally. He's just a very driven individual and we'll certainly miss him. He's a very in-tune driver, very knowledgeable about the sport because he's just lived and breathed it. It was like it was everything. It sounds kind of simple but he just knew everything that was going on so you could never count him out.”
Three time World Champion Fernando Alonso said “(It's) not the news that I want. There were some rumours last year that maybe he would stop, but this year it came true. An amazing driver, a legend of our sport. I spent so much time and (had so many) battles with him over my career with him. So I will miss him, and not only as a driver, I think he has very strong values and is a very good human being. I wish him the best and we will miss him.” Mick Schumacher, who was mentored by Sebastian Vettel said “He'll leave a big hole behind, that's for sure. It's obviously something that probably hits me a bit more than some others, just because I lose a friend in that sense. Obviously, I will see him beside the track, but on track and just having somebody that you can talk to, it's definitely a loss.”
Reigning Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen said “He has achieved so much in this sport that it's fully understandable for him to retire. To see him go is something that you can see coming. Everyone is getting older and, of course, it's not nice for Seb's fans but these things happen and now he can enjoy time with his family. In F1 you work so hard to achieve all these things he has achieved and now it's time for him to enjoy himself.”
Scuderia Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz was full of praise for Vettel with the Spaniard saying “For me, even before arriving in Formula 1 he was a great model. I was privileged enough to be a simulation driver when he was at his peak with Red Bull, winning the championships. I could see how professional he was and it gave me a good insight into how you need to behave and how you need to be, to be a successful F1 driver like he was. Everyone in the paddock loves him and you will not hear someone say a bad thing about Seb. I think that speaks to his personality – his life as a human being not only as a driver. We will miss him and I also hope we can see him back in the paddock to help with the development in certain areas that I think he has been very vocal about and I hope that he can keep giving us a hand on that side.”
Also read: Vettel announces his retirement from F1 at the end of 2022 season
