(Motorsport) Four time World Champion Sebastian Vettel has announced his retirement from Formula 1 at the end of the ongoing season. The German won four consecutive titles from 2010 to 2013 with Red Bull, thereby becoming the sport’s youngest ever title winner. He joined Ferrari in 2015 and spent six seasons at the iconic racing team before moving to Aston Martin. Vettel is only behind Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton on the list of all-time Grand Prix winners with 53 victories and his 13 victories in 2013 means he is tied with Schumacher for the most number of wins in a season.
Vettel posted a video on Instagram to confirm his retirement saying “The decision to retire has been a difficult one for me to take, and I have spent a lot of time thinking about it. At the end of the year I want to take some more time to reflect on what I will focus on next; it is very clear to me that, being a father, I want to spend more time with my family." His final race of his career will be the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, a race which would also be the 300th of his career. Vettel has been known for his activism in recent years, being the first driver to refuse to race in Russia after the country’s invasion of Ukraine and becoming the first F1 driver to feature as a cover star of LGBTQ publication Attitude Magazine.
In his video posted on social media, Vettel added: "I love this sport. It has been central to my life since I can remember. But as much as there is life on track, there is my life off track too. Being a racing driver has never been my sole identity. I very much believe in identity by who we are and how we treat others rather than what we do. I believe in change and progress and that every little bit makes a difference. I am an optimist and I believe people are good. Next to racing, I have grown a family and I love being around them. I have grown other interests outside Formula 1.
“My passion for racing and Formula 1 comes with lots of time spent away from them and takes a lot of energy. Committing to my passion the way I did and the way I think it is right, does no longer go side by side with my wish to be a great father and husband. The energy it takes to become one with the car and the team, to chase perfection takes focus and commitment. My 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."
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