Four-time Formula 1 world champion Sebastian Vettel has announced that he will retire at the end of this season. The 35-year-old admitted that his concerns about the climate emergency and F1’s role as a contributor to the problem played a big part in his decision-making process and that he was “terrified” by what the future holds for him.
Vettel currently drives for Aston Martin and made his F1 debut in 2007. He became the sport’s youngest world champion when he took his first title at the age of 23 years and 134 days, and has amassed 53 victories. He won four consecutive titles for Red Bull between 2010 and 2013.
In recent years, Vettel has been increasingly outspoken on environmental and social issues. He has recently expressed his ambivalence about competing in F1, a sport that has a huge carbon footprint due to air travel.
He noted that a combination of factors had inspired his decision, including wanting to spend more time with his family and being with his three children as they grow up, but also an interest in other subjects outside of F1 that had acquired a growing importance for him. “I know how intense this work is and how much dedication there is, and if you’re going to do it, I’m convinced you have to do it the right way,” he said in Budapest ahead of this weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix . “But also physically time away from home, children and family. I have [also] other interests and opinions have grown and I cannot ignore those voices.” He has spoken out on environmental issues in the past and specifically cited the climate emergency as a factor in his decision.
“Obviously traveling the world, racing cars and burning resources, literally, are things I can’t look away from,” he said. “Once I think you see these things and you’re aware of them, I don’t think you can really unsee them. When it comes to the climate crisis, there is no way that F1 or any sport or business can avoid it, because it affects us all. Maybe he’ll back off or calm down, but it’s just a matter of time, which we don’t have.”
Vettel has enjoyed an impressive career, having made an instant impact with a remarkable victory for Toro Rosso at Monza in just his second season, but success has eluded him in recent years. After winning his four titles, he joined Ferrari in 2015 and challenged for the championship twice with the Scuderia in 2017 and 2018, but was beaten by Lewis Hamilton both times.
He remained with Ferrari until the end of 2020 before joining Aston Martin in 2021, but has not won a race since the Singapore Grand Prix in 2019. However, during his time with Red Bull and Ferrari he achieve a huge number of victories, with his total of 53 behind only Hamilton’s 103 and Michael Schumacher’s 91.
There was a strong feeling in the Budapest paddock that Vettel will be sorely missed. He is admired as a driver and as a person, and is universally loved by his rivals.
Hamilton, who made his debut the same year as Vettel, paid tribute to his rival and friend.
“When I talk about the journey I’ve had in this sport and I often feel that it’s been relatively lonely, he’s one of the few people who’s made me not feel alone. He stood by me through a lot,” she said. “He’s been very brave in speaking up and standing up for what he believes. I think he’s one of the greatest people we’ve seen in this sport and we need more like him.”
Vettel has not revealed what he plans to do after F1 and admitted it was a big step into the unknown. “The best race is yet to come, as in life,” he said. “The biggest challenge probably awaits us as we decide to do other things. This is what I’m facing and honestly I’m also scared of what’s to come. It might be a hole and I don’t know how deep it is and if I’m going to get out of it.”