“I’ve had the privilege of working with so many great people in F1 over the past 15 years and I have a lot to say and thank them for,” Vettel, 35, wrote on his Instagram account.
After announcing his retirement on the eve of the Hungarian Grand Prix, the thirteenth round of the World Championship, he added: “For the last two years I have been driving an Aston Martin and although our results are not as good as we were. I hope, it’s pretty clear to me that everything is implemented now. This is what the team needs to compete at the highest level for years to come.
“The decision to leave Formula 1 at the end of the year was difficult and I thought about it a lot. At the end of the year, I like to take time to think about what I want to do next.” And “As a father, I want to spend more time with my family. Today is not a goodbye, but a thank you to everyone, starting with the fans, without whom Formula 1 cannot exist.”
The world champion rode with Red Bull four times in a row between 2010 and 2013, first category, after 15 years winning 53 races, 122 podium finishes and first starts in 57 Grands Prix.
The achievements of the German, who defended the colors of Ferrari between 2015 and 2000 without winning a world title, put him in third place on the list of the most famous winners in the first category, behind the British record holder Lewis Hamilton (103 victories) and his legendary compatriot Michael Schumacher (91).
The announcement of his retirement came on the eve of the Hungarian Grand Prix, the thirteenth round of the World Championship.
Vettel began his career with the BMW-Sauber team at the 2007 US Grand Prix before moving to Toro Rosso where he took his first win with the team at the 2008 Monts Grand Prix to return to the Red Bull team that defended his colors in between of 2009 and 2014.
He joined the Ferrari team where he competed for the world title in 2017 and 2018 without taking the honor in 6 years at the Maranello HQ despite having many victories in red to avoid following in the footsteps of Finn Kimi Räikkönen. last won the Italian fold in 2007.
In Aston Martin owned by Canadian billionaire Lawrence Stoll, together with the latter’s son, Lance, he managed to climb the podium once in a year and a half, knowing that his contract with the team will end at the end of the current season.
Source: Al-Akhbar