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“It hurt Sebastian Vettel so much”: 4-time World Champion’s father reveals what made his legendary son quit Formula 1

Somin Bhattacharjee
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"It hurt Sebastian Vettel so much": 4-time World Champion's father reveals what made his legendary son quit Formula 1

Sebastian Vettel joined Aston Martin in 2021 in a move that some saw as a step up for both, but it did not turn out to be the case. 

Vettel established himself as one of F1’s all time greats after winning four back to back titles between 2010 and 2013. He won all these Titles with Red Bull, whom he left to join Scuderia Ferrari in 2015.

Vettel’s move to Ferrari was also seen as a huge up for the latter. The Maranello based team has not won a Title since 2008, and Vettel was billed as someone who was going to bring glory back to Ferrari.

The German driver won 14 races with Ferrari, but never posed a serious Title threat to Lewis Hamilton in his time there. After a disastrous 2020 campaign, he moved to the newly rebranded Silverstone based team, Aston Martin.

With heavy investment and Vettel’s arrival, majority of the F1 community predicted the team to make huge strides over the last two seasons. In turn, it seems as though they have taken a step back and their drivers are struggling to find pace.

Also read: “I think very highly of him” – Sebastian Vettel reveals the driver who can replace him at Aston Martin in 2023

Sebastian Vettel endured a frustrating low point at Austrian Grand Prix

Earlier this week, Vettel announced that he would be retiring from Formula 1 at the end of this season. This sent shockwaves throughout the community, and plenty of people shared their opinions as to why he decided to leave.

On his newly formed Instagram account, the 35-year old did explain the reason behind his retirement. His father Norbert said that he understands why his son left.

A major reason for that was how he struggled at the back end of the grid. Aston Martin have one of the slowest cars this year, and it has affected the former Red Bull driver’s chances of fighting at the front.

“It’s a shame, but I understand him,” Norbert Vettel said.  “It was an incredible career for my son. But the low point was Austria. It hurt him so much to drive around at the end of the field and that accelerated this thought.”

Also read: “Sebastian Vettel must’ve thought I was weird”- Charles Leclerc reveals how much he admired 4-time World Champion teammate at Ferrari

About the author

Somin Bhattacharjee

Somin Bhattacharjee

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Formula 1 Editor Somin Bhattacharjee fell for the sport as well as Fernando Alonso on the same day — during the Spaniard’s thrilling victory at the German GP in 2010. Over the years, the passion magnified manyfold, and metamorphosed into a writing career in 2021. Though holding a bachelor's degree in marketing, Somin discovered his true calling in writing. He has penned over 2,700 articles for TheSportsRush, presenting a diverse range — news reports, opinions, and exclusives. A true Tiffosi, Somin never gives up on a chance to defend the Ferrari boys as a fan. As a sports writer though, he remains objective to the core and relishes opportunities to follow and engage in dissecting the action during races. That’s where the real thrill lies for him. Beyond the racetrack, Somin plays different sports including soccer. He enjoys exploring other sporting events and proudly supports Spanish soccer club Real Madrid.

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