Taking place a few days after the 30th death anniversary of Ayrton Senna, the Imola GP saw Sebastian Vettel gather the F1 troops. Having never experienced a close call himself, the German former driver was never too far away from it. Recalling an experience from 2019, Vettel detailed how it broke him to the extent that he wanted to step away from racing altogether.
Speaking to the media, further reported by GP Blog, Vettel recalled the crash of Anthoine Hubert. Racing in F2 at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit, the young Frenchman lost his life in a fatal accident. After this, the 36-year-old recollected how he connected with his wife over phone calls, wondering if there was any point in continuing racing.
. @Charles_Leclerc , Sebastian Vettel and Mattia Binotto stand for a minutes silence in tribute to the late Formula 2 driver Anthoine Hubert.
: Getty Images#BelgianGP pic.twitter.com/dMuIcOCnAL
— Charles Leclerc Fan Page (@LeclercNews) September 1, 2019
“I remember the phone calls talking to my wife and wondering what’s the point of getting back in the car.”, Vettel said.
Eventually, the four-time world champion decided to carry on racing. The sport is what he loved the most, and he couldn’t resist the temptation. Having moved away from F1, Vettel is never too far away from the sport.
Stemming from the same are rumors that claim he might soon make a comeback. While that remains up for debate, there is no denying that F1 and its legends continue to hold a special place in Vettel’s heart.
Sebastian Vettel led the charge to honor his childhood hero
The 1994 San Marino Grand Prix weekend saw two tragic deaths in the form of Roland Ratzenberger and Ayrton Senna. 30 years after the incident, Vettel led a foot race around the track in Imola to honor both drivers.
With a heavier emphasis on Senna, social media saw a barrage of photos of F1 personnel sporting t-shirts bearing the iconic colors of Senna’s helmet.
“Lock your thoughts, hang them on the fence, and pay tribute”
Sebastian Vettel led a beautiful tribute to racing icons Ayrton Senna and Roland Ratzenberger as they are celebrated, 30 years on ❤️#F1 #Formula1 #ImolaGP pic.twitter.com/H4GAEMey2S
— Formula 1 (@F1) May 17, 2024
Brazilian and Austrian flags waved around in remembrance of both the drivers as everyone involved in the race, led by Sebastian Vettel, made their way around the 3.05-mile circuit. Detailing what made Senna more special, Vettel said that it was the three-time world champ’s compassion.
He showed support for everyone and was very vocal about the situation of the social standing and poverty in his home country. Thus, “Ayrton [Senna] stands for so much more than his racing achievements in a car.”
