The Formula 1 world was sent into shock in July, after 35-year-old fan favourite Sebastian Vettel announced that he would be retiring at the end of the season.
The German won four consecutive championships during his time with Red Bull, before less successful spells with Ferrari and then Aston Martin, where he ended his career.
Vettel has revealed that his decision was motivated by his desire to spend more time with his children, as the 24-race calendar that is set to be introduced in 2023, subject to F1 finding a replacement for the Chinese Grand Prix, would see the German away from home more often than not over the course of the season.
It is this exact reason why the 35-year-old has rejected the idea of becoming a reserve driver in the future, as he believes that it would be pointless for him to still travel to every race weekend, just to ‘do nothing’.
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Speaking about his decision to retire, Vettel has revealed that Formula 1 had started to become a bit of a burden for the German, claiming that he is more than ready for the next stage of his life.
“It’s not that I hate Formula 1, I enjoyed the last couple of races, after the announcement it was a big weight off my shoulder because it’s been a whole lot that this sport was in my head,” explained the four-time world champion.
“I’m very much looking forward to giving the time that I got when I was that age [to my children]. My parents made so much time for me and I want to be there as well.”
Red Bull Chief Advisor Helmut Marko has suggested that the door will always be open for the German to make a return to his former home, with the Austrian believing that Vettel would be well suited to a management role as a part of his future adventures.
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Marko has joked that across all the teams under the banner of Red Bull and AlphaTauri, there will always be a place for Vettel to step up into management, as long as he is happy to take a pay cut and work longer hours.
Vettel has admitted that after a couple of years without the adrenaline rush of Formula 1, he could be tempted back to the sport, but has admitted that he would consider himself a failure should he ever return to the grid.
Formula 1 will deeply miss the presence of the charismatic German, however many influential figures have paid fitting tribute to the legend, wishing him all the best in whatever he may choose to do next.