Formula 1: four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel to retire from sport at end of season
- In statement released by Aston Martin team, Vettel says decision ‘a difficult one’ to take
- Driver’s 53 Grand Prix wins place him third on all-time list behind Michael Schumacher (91) and Lewis Hamilton (103)
Four-time Formula One world champion Sebastian Vettel will retire at the end of the 2022 season, he announced on Thursday.
“The decision to retire has been a difficult one for me to take, and I have spent a lot of time thinking about it,” Vettel, 35, said in an Aston Martin team statement.
“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 won four successive championships with Red Bull from 2010 to 2013, but struggled to reproduce his best results after moving to Ferrari before joining Aston Martin last year.
His 53 Grand Prix victories place him third on the all-time list behind Lewis Hamilton (103) and Michael Schumacher (91). Vettel last won a race in Singapore in 2019.