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“It contributed to my retirement”: Sebastian Vettel decided to retire because he wasn’t driving race winning cars anymore

Somin Bhattacharjee
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"It contributed to my retirement": Sebastian Vettel decided to retire because he wasn't driving race winning cars anymore

Sebastian Vettel is one of the greatest F1 drivers of all time. His best time in F1 arguably came during his Red Bull stint. He won four World Championships with the Milton-Keynes-based outfit and his career has not been the same since leaving in 2015.

Vettel joined Ferrari and was labeled as the man who would bring Championship glory back to Maranello. Despite winning 14 races for the Scuderia, he couldn’t pose a serious Title threat to Mercedes or Lewis Hamilton who were dominant at the time. After a disastrous 2020 campaign, he decided to leave the prancing horses for team Silverstone who had just rebranded themselves as Aston Martin.

Vettel’s hopes after joining Aston Martin were inclined towards him returning to the front once again. Unfortunately, it has brought him a step backward. The 35-year-old has spent the last two seasons with the British team in the lower midfield and finally called time on his illustrious career earlier this year.

A lot of fans and pundits felt that Aston Martin’s poor mechanical package influenced his decision of retiring. Vettel recently confirmed that driving a car that was incapable of winning races did contribute to early retirement.

Also read: Daniel Ricciardo is not threatened by Lewis Hamilton blocking his F1 return in 2024 amid talks of potential reserve role with Mercedes

Sebastian Vettel was unable to showcase his real talent with Aston Martin

When Lawrence Stroll took over Aston Martin (formerly Force India and Racing Point), big things were expected. However, his heavy investment in the outfit has not paid off yet as they continue to struggle. Vettel, who is a four-time World Champion with 53 wins to name has been struggling to prove his worth with such a team.

In a recent interview with Der Spiegel, he shared his thoughts on his retirement. The former Red Bull driver insisted that he has no regrets over it and believes that it was the right time to make the announcement. However, driving a sub-par Aston Martin car did influence his decision.

“The fact that I’m not currently in a race car with which I can show what I’m actually capable of has contributed to my retirement,” Sebastian Vettel said.

Also read: “We’re going to make the best racing movie” – $334 Million net worth Lewis Hamilton has ‘high hopes’ for Brad Pitt-starring F1 flick.

Vettel was considering retirement when Charles Leclerc joined Ferrari

Back in 2019, Leclerc joined Ferrari to replace the outgoing Kimi Raikkonen. This was a clear statement from Ferrari that Vettel was no longer their future. Leclerc was just 21 at the time and was widely regarded as the golden boy of Ferrari.

This began affecting Vettel’s performances out on track. He finished P5 in the standings behind Leclerc that year and his subsequent campaign turned out to be his worst ever. In 2020, Vettel finished 13th with just 33 points! Leclerc meanwhile had 98 points so the gap between them was huge.

In the interview with Der Spiegel, Vettel admitted that the thought of retiring had crossed his mind when Leclerc replaced him as Ferrari’s number 1 driver. The 34-year-old legend has just two races left in F1 before he retires. He will lace up for his penultimate outing at this weekend’s Sao Paolo GP in Brazil.

    About the author

    Somin Bhattacharjee

    Somin Bhattacharjee

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    Basketball Editor Somin Bhattacharjee first discovered the game during the 2014 FIBA World Cup. Not long after, he turned to the NBA and found himself drawn to the Golden State Warriors — right at the start of Stephen Curry’s rise. Over time, the admiration turned into full-blown support for the team, one that continues even as the Curry era approaches its twilight. A true hoophead, Somin also follows EuroLeague basketball closely and enjoys exploring the game beyond the NBA. Though holding a bachelor's degree in marketing, Somin discovered his true calling in writing. Since 2021, he has penned over 3,000 articles for TheSportsRush, covering everything from breaking news to sharp opinion pieces and detailed exclusives. He thrives on writing about in-game moments and the reactions that make basketball a uniquely emotional sport. Beyond basketball, Somin plays different sports including soccer and remains a passionate fan of Spanish football giants Real Madrid

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