Four-time Formula 1 World Champion Sebastian Vettel is to retire from the sport at the end of the 2022 season.
Winner of 53 Grand Prix, Vettel confirmed his decision ahead of the 2022 Hungarian Grand Prix in a joint statement with his current team Aston Martin.
“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,” the 35-year-old explained.
The Father of three went on to say it was not about saying goodbye in his final 10 races, “Rather, it is about saying thank you - to everyone - not least to the fans, without whose passionate support Formula One could not exist.”
Aston Martin executive chairman Lawrence Stroll said: “I want to thank Sebastian from the bottom of my heart for the great work that he has done for Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant Formula One™ Team over the past year and a half.
“We made it clear to him that we wanted him to continue with us next year, but in the end, he has done what he feels is right for himself and his family, and of course we respect that.”
Aston Martin have not confirmed who will replace the German driver, alongside Canadian Lance Stroll, son of Lawrence Stroll.
Vettel debuted in 2007, aged 19, with BMW Sauber as a replacement for Robert Kubica, who missed the race after a violent crash at the previous weeks Canadian Grand Prix.
The German joined Toro Rosso later that year and in 2008, scored his and the team’s first win at a soaking wet Italian Grand Prix in Monza.
Following that victory, Vettel joined Red Bull Racing and took their first win too, at the 2009 Chinese Grand Prix.
Vettel became the sports youngest champion in 2010, clinching the title at the season finale in Abu Dhabi as Fernando Alonso and Ferrari faltered with their strategy.
More success came in 2011, Vettel cantering to a second championship, before piping Alonso in the final round again in 2012, despite being involved in a Lap 1 collision in Sao Paulo.
An unprecedented run of nine-straight victories in 2013 sealed a fourth consecutive title.
Vettel joined Ferrari in 2015, after a lacklustre 2014 with Red Bull, attempting to emulate his hero Michael Schumacher by capturing the F1 crown with Ferrari, Vettel went close in 2017 and 2018 but a combination of driving errors and reliability woes meant the Vettel/Ferrari combination was beaten by Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes.
Following a high-profile mistake at the 2018 German Grand Prix, the German’s driving in combat became littered with mistakes and spins, culminating in a messy departure from Ferrari in 2020, who claimed that they had offered the multiple world champion a contract for 2021, something Vettel denied.
Vettel joined Aston Martin in 2021 and finished second at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, something he later repeated in Hungary but was later disqualified from.
Off the track, Vettel championed many causes such as LGBTQ+ rights and the global warming crisis, earning admiration from fans and pundits alike, as well as those outside the sport, where he even appeared on UK TV's "Question Time" show on the BBC.
2022 will now see Vettel bring the curtain down on a glittering career, with 53 victories, 57 pole positions and 122 podiums at the time of his announcement.