Sebastian Vettel’s final Italian Grand Prix ended in extremely disappointing circumstances, as the German driver who famously claimed his first victory in Formula 1 at the ‘Temple of Speed’ back in 2008, retired on Lap 12/53.
It certainly wasn’t the way Vettel would’ve hoped to end a race that holds such a special place in his heart; however, his early retirement basically summed up Aston Martin’s season.
After the race, which Aston Martin team-mate Lance Stroll also retired from, Vettel told the official Formula 1 website that he suffered from an ERS issue, which resulted in a sudden “drop in power”.
“Unfortunately, we had an issue with the ERS, and we had to stop the car,” said Vettel.
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“I noticed a drop in power beforehand, and then I was told to pull off the circuit.
“Overall, this was just a tough weekend for us. I was hopeful for a decent race, but we struggled for pace and then had the problem that forced our retirement.”
Thankfully, the German does have something to celebrate despite the terrible weekend at Monza, after announcing what competition he’ll be taking part in post-F1 retirement.
Towards the end of January next year, Vettel will travel to Sweden to once again compete in the very popular Race of Champions (ROC), which puts drivers from a variety of championships against each other.
The four-time World Champion has enjoyed a great level of success at the ROC, which he has competed in 10 times.
Vettel is a former ROC Champion and a seven-time Nations’ Cup co-victor.
The 35-year-old “can’t think of a better place” to compete following his Formula 1 retirement, with the German very excited for the “special event”.
“I can’t think of a better place for my first race after I retire from Formula 1 than the Race of Champions,” said Vettel.
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“This will be my 11th appearance, and I keep coming back because it’s a special event, and so much fun.
“I don’t have much experience of racing on snow and ice, so it made for a steep learning curve in Sweden earlier this year – and a very pleasant surprise to reach the individual final against Sébastien Loeb.
“Now I can’t wait to come back and give ROC-style ice racing another try and hopefully help Team Germany win another ROC Nations Cup title.”