Sebastian Vettel To Retire At The End Of The Current F1 Season - One Of The True Greats

Vettel put out a video statement in both English & German on his newly created Instagram account in which he announced that he would be retiring at the end of the season. Vettel currently lies third in the list of Grand Prix winners with 53 wins and he sits behind only seven-time Driver's champions Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher.

Vettel later released a statement through the Aston Martin Formula One Team. The statement reads, "I have had the privilege of working with many fantastic people in Formula One over the past 15 years - there are far too many to mention and thank. Over the past two years I have been an Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant Formula One Team driver - and, although our results have not been as good as we had hoped, it is very clear to me that everything is being put together that a team needs to race at the very highest level for years to come."

He continued, "I have really enjoyed working with such a great bunch of people. Everyone - Lawrence, Lance, Martin, Mike, the senior managers, the engineers, the mechanics and the rest of the team - is ambitious, capable, expert, committed and friendly, and I wish them all well. I hope that the work I did last year and am continuing to do this year will be helpful in the development of a team that will win in the future, and I will work as hard as I can between now and the end of the year with that goal in mind, giving as always my best in the last 10 races. 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. But today is not about saying goodbye. Rather, it is about saying thank you - to everyone - not least to the fans, without whose passionate support Formula One could not exist."

Vettel raced his first ever F1 race back in 2007 when drove for BMW Sauber at that year's United States Grand Prix. Later that year, he started racing for Torro Rosso (now Alpha Tauri) racing team. In 2008, Vettel drove his Torro Rosso car to victory at the team's home race in Imola at the Italian Grand Prix.

In 2009, Vettel joined Red Bull Racing where he enjoyed the best part of his career winning four consecutive Driver's Championships - 2010, 2011,2012 and 2013. In 2015, Vettel joined Ferrari where he challenged Lewis Hamilton for the Driver's Championship in 2017 and 2018. Vettel joined Aston Martin in 2020 where he will conclude his career with his 300th and final race at the 2022 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Thoughts About Sebastian Vettel's Retirement

Sebastian Vettel is one of the greatest drivers to have raced in Formula One. Not only has he been one of the best drivers on the track but the way he was away from the track with regards to fans, other drivers, and social causes makes him one of the best ambassadors the sport has ever seen.