Sebastian Vettel will retire from Formula 1 at the end of the season
The 35-year-old will bring the curtain down on a career that has seen four world championships and 53 wins.
Vettel, who started his F1 career midway through the 2007 season and enjoyed his best years at Red Bull, made the announcement ahead of this weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix.
The Aston Martin driver, who is 12th in the championship, said: “I have had the privilege of working with many fantastic people in Formula 1 over the past 15 years – there are far too many to list and thank .
“The decision to retire was a difficult one for me, and I thought about it a lot.
“At the end of the year I want to take a little more time to think about what I’m going to focus on next; it’s very clear to me that as a father I want to spend more time with my family.
“But today is not about saying goodbye. Rather, it is about thanking – to everyone – not least the fans, without whose passionate support Formula 1 could not exist.”
Vettel won four consecutive titles with Red Bull between 2010 and 2013, before joining Ferrari two years later.
The German was hired to end Ferrari’s drought, but failed – and was eventually dropped by the Italian team at the end of 2019. Vettel moved to Aston Martin in 2020 before returning to the Formula 1 grid. after decades of absence.
But the England-based team has struggled for results and Vettel has now decided to walk away rather than carry on for another campaign.
Comment: There is a future with campaigns
By Luke Slater