Aston Martin’s Sebastian Vettel has affirmed that the environment was not the determining factor in his decision to retire from Formula 1 at the end of the season.
The German started his career at BMW Sauber in 2007 when he stood in for the injured Robert Kubica, and he scored a point in eighth at the US Grand Prix.
A year later, he was a grand prix winner with Toro Rosso in Monza, earning him a drive with Red Bull for 2009.
He won four races with the Austrian team as he finished second in the championship behind Jenson Button, but 2010 would a crowning year for the then 23-year-old.
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Vettel claimed the championship at the final round of the season in Abu Dhabi, and he added three more to that tally, before leaving at the end of a difficult 2014 campaign.
Six years with Ferrari would follow, and Vettel challenged Sir Lewis Hamilton for the title in two of them, but the Mercedes juggernaut just had too much for the Scuderia.
At the end of 2020, Vettel left for Aston Martin, with whom he scored a podium at last year’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
This season has been a tough one for the four-time champion and team-mate Lance, Stroll, who have scored points a combined 11 times in 16 races.
Vettel has spent the last couple of years campaigning for many causes that transcend Formula 1, including equality, social justice, and the environment.
While he has not been winning races, his attention has been closer to home, and he has decided to call it a day at the end of this year.
His pursuit of ecological friendliness had little to do with it though.
“Tennis players also travel a lot,” Vettel told Autosprint.
“In general, we have to pursue our ambition because of our talents, and from that point of view, I am satisfied because I made my dreams come true.
“We drivers love to race, we want to take on a challenge, I would even have paid to be able to do what I do.”
Aston Martin have signed Fernando Alonso to replace Vettel after he could not agree a new deal with Alpine.
The French team could only offer him one more year, so the double world champion went looking elsewhere, and he turned to Lawrence Stroll.
It was thought that Vettel was rushed into a decision by the Aston Martin board, who needed to know whether they had space for Alonso.
However, the decision to leave was made entirely by the 53-time race winner, not the billionaire owner.
“I made the decision to stop on my own,” reiterated Vettel.
“The team and Stroll had nothing to do with it.”
The German’s future beyond 2022 remains unknown.
“I haven’t made a decision yet. I don’t know, time will tell,” said Vettel.
“I want to see how long it takes before I get bored. Maybe it will be three months and I’ll be crying and want to come back. Or maybe I’ll like not being at the track anymore and just enjoy my family.”
The former Ferrari driver has never been one to harbour regrets, and he has none from his time at Maranello after they “failed,” in his words, to win a championship together.
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“I had a fantastic period at Ferrari, I was close to the world title twice, but we failed,” said a candid Vettel.
“There are reasons why we didn’t win, but I’m calm about it. I spent a lot of time at Ferrari and I have a lot of respect for the team and for everyone there.”
Alonso will be partnered by Lance Stroll next year, after the Canadian was given an extension following some strong performances in 2022.