That’s all. Four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel will retire from Formula 1 at the end of the season.
The German, who made his BMW Sauber debut at the 2007 US Grand Prix, revealed the news via his newly created Instagram account – his first foray into social media.
Vettel won all four of his championships with Red Bull between 2010 and 2013 and is third on the all-time Grand Prix winning list with 53 wins.
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A six-year spell with Ferrari failed to deliver a much-coveted fifth title and he has managed just one podium in a year-and-a-half with Aston Martin, where his contract expires at the end of 2022.
Ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix, Vettel, who is racing alongside Lance Stroll, announced that this will be his 15th and final full season in Formula 1.
Vettel won four rebounding titles with Red Bull from 2010 to 2013
“I’ve had the privilege of working with a lot of great people in Formula 1 over the past 15 years – there are too many to mention and thank,” said Vettel. “For the last two years I have been a driver for Aston Martin, and although our results have not been as good as we hoped, it is very clear to me that everything is being put together because a team has to run at the highest level during the next few years.
“I really enjoyed working with such a great bunch of people. All – Lawrence [Stroll]launch [Stroll]Martin [Whitmarsh]Mike [Krack]senior managers, engineers, mechanics and the rest of the team – he is ambitious, capable, knowledgeable, committed and kind, and I wish them all the best.
READ MORE: ‘My best career is yet to come’: Read Vettel’s retirement statement in full as four-time champion calls time on F1 career
“I hope that the work I did last year and that I continue to do this year will be useful for the development of a team that will win in the future, and I will work as much as I can between now and the end of the year. with this goal in mind, giving as always my best in the last 10 races.
“The decision to retire has been difficult to make, and I have spent a lot of time thinking about it; at the end of the year I want to spend a little more time reflecting on what I will focus on next; I am very clear that, being a father, I want to spend more time with my family.
“But today is not about saying goodbye. Rather, it’s about thanking everyone, especially the fans, without whose passionate support Formula 1 could not exist.”
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Aston Martin owner Lawrence Stroll said: “I want to thank Sebastian from the bottom of my heart for the great work he has done for Aston Martin over the last year and a half. We made it clear to him that we wanted him to stay with us the next year, but in the end he’s done what he thinks is right for him and his family, and of course we respect that.
“He’s driven some fantastic races for us and, behind the scenes, his experience and expertise with our engineers has been invaluable. He’s one of the all-time greats in Formula 1, and it’s been a privilege to have been able to work with him
“He will continue to race for us up to and including the 2022 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, which will be his 300th Grand Prix entry. We will give him a fabulous send off.”
Team principal Mike Krack added: “Sebastian is an excellent driver, fast, intelligent and strategic, and of course we will miss those qualities. However, we have all learned from him and the knowledge that we have acquired working with him will continue to benefit our team long after he is gone.
“Aston Martin is a great project, with unlimited potential, and the groundwork that Sebastian has done last year, and is still doing this year, is crucial. When we are fully competitive, and we will be, one of the architects of that future success will be Sebastià, and we will always be grateful to him for that.”
