The 2022 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix will perhaps be remembered simply as the last race in Formula 1 for the incredible Sebastian Vettel, a man who achieved it all in the sport, or did he?
There is no doubt that Vettel is and will always be one of the greatest drivers and humans to have been part of the paddock, both for his unmatchable talent and his caring nature.
Four World Championships and 53 Grand Prix victories demonstrate just how unbelievable the 35-year-old has been during his career in the sport, with him having tasted so much success at Red Bull.
His reign at Red Bull is one of legends, whereas it’s his period at Ferrari that he’ll perhaps look back on with regret.
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Vettel moved to Ferrari in 2015 with one goal in mind; to claim the Scuderia’s first Drivers’ Championship since 2007.
The last German driver to race for the Italians prior to Vettel was fairly successful, some might say, with Vettel having been eager to emulate his hero.
Seven-time World Champion Michael Schumacher took domination to a different level from 2000-2004, where he won five consecutive titles for the Maranello-based side.
Vettel came so close to claiming a title for the Italians, with his crash at the 2018 German Grand Prix likely to haunt him to this day.
Schumacher’s brother, Ralf Schumacher, doesn’t think failing to claim a title was Vettel’s fault, though.
“Being successful with Scuderia is always the ultimate goal for a driver,” Schumacher wrote on his blog for Sky Germany.
“A lot of people want that. But unfortunately it didn’t work out that way because of the structures. It was definitely not his fault alone.
“Unfortunately, things didn’t go quite as well for him with Aston Martin. I would have wished that differently for him.”
Time away from the sport is exactly what Vettel has explained to be looking forward to, with the German set to return home to spend time with his young family.
But how long will he be gone for?
Schumacher doesn’t think a return can be completely “ruled out”, with there perhaps set to be some options for Vettel in a “year or two”.
“A comeback by Sebastian in Formula 1 cannot be ruled out,” Schumacher continued.
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“You can see that again in Nico Hulkenberg and also in Fernando Alonso, who always wants to come back or continue. In Formula 1 there are many factors that lead to being fast. One of them is experience.
“New drivers take a long time to get to the level of Sebastian Vettel. Accordingly, with his vast experience, Sebastian already has the chance to come back in a year or two and be among the front runners.
“I don’t know if he actually does that. Maybe after a year or two with the family he will have the strength to start a comeback.”