Sebastian Vettel is bowing out of Formula 1 in style, finding his peak form in recent races as he edges ever closer to retirement.
The German won Driver of the Day in both Suzuka and Austin after seeming to find another level of performance hidden in his Aston Martin.
The stellar performances have sparked hope in fans of the German that he might see his upturn in form as a reason to reconsider his retirement, however Vettel has been quick to squash these suggestions.
“I obviously enjoyed the last two races, last couple of races more than I did maybe some in the mid-season, but they have no impact on the decision,” he said.
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“And if anything it’s a great reminder of why I love this sport so much, why I love racing so much.
“I had great races and really enjoyed them but I also had races that I didn’t enjoy so much and I was wishing after five laps to see the checkered flag and it didn’t come out.
“So you still have to find the motivation in that and hang in there. But yeah, I wish that sometimes it just wouldn’t swing as high and as low.”
Vettel has admitted that he is not really a part of the process when it comes to developing Aston Martin’s 2023 car, which will be driven by Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso, but is still working hard to help identify the problems that they have encountered this year.
Aston Martin are now only four points behind Alfa Romeo in the constructors’ championship following their recent run of positive results, and Vettel is committed to giving his all in the final two races of the season to help to team try to topple their rival.
“I have no reason to hold back anything,” said the 35-year-old.
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“I’m not changing, I’m not going anywhere, so I say what I think. Nothing has changed compared to say last year.”
Abu Dhabi will be his 299th and final race in Formula 1, closing the curtain on a spectacular racing career where Vettel has cemented himself as one of the all time greats.
The four-time world champion dominated the sport during his stay with Red Bull, before moving on to Ferrari and Aston Martin to complete his legendary Formula 1 journey.