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“Sebastian Vettel stayed one year too long”- Former Ferrari officer reveals why 35-year should have left F1 sooner

Somin Bhattacharjee
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"Sebastian Vettel stayed one year too long"- Former Ferrari officer reveals why 35-year should have left F1 sooner

Sebastian Vettel announced his retirement from F1 earlier this week and it has sent shockwaves around the world of sports.

Vettel is one of the greatest F1 drivers of all time. He won four back to back Titles between 2010 and 2013 during his time with Red Bull, but since then his career has never been the same.

He joined Ferrari in 2015, in a move that many saw as a match made in heaven. It didn’t turn out to be quite as fruitful as either party hoped. The German driver won 14 races during his time in Maranello, but could never pose a serious threat to Lewis Hamilton or Mercedes.

After a disastrous 2020 season, Vettel moved to Aston Martin. It was a team that was recently acquired by Lawrence Stroll, and fans expected them to make huge strides in a short time.

The Silverstone based outfit however, did not make a big charge and Vettel spent the majority of 2021 and 2022 fighting for the lower points position.

Also read: Why Lewis Hamilton has secured his London Mansion worth $22 Million

Sebastian Vettel should have left Formula 1 sooner

Some reports have suggested that Vettel was considering retirement from 2018. As a result, the fact that he stayed at a team like Aston Martin for two years when he wasn’t fighting for podiums or Titles, was surprising to some.

Former Ferrari press officer Alberto Antonini agrees with them. Antonini worked closely with the four-time World Champion when he was with the Scuderia, and feels that Vettel stayed longer than he thought he would’ve.

During a live interview with GoF1 Show, he was asked if Vettel’s retirement surprised him. An adamant no is what he replied with. However, he insisted that his own performance was not a huge factor in him making this call.

“No, not at all,” he said. “He probably I mean. I would go as far as say he stayed one year too long. It’s nor performance wise because he has been able to perform. He had his ups and downs.

“It’s probably related to his sate of mind himself. But yeah,” he continued. “It was high time for him to say, ‘Okay, let’s pull the plug on this and do something else’.”

Also read: Former F1 driver Alex Zanardi transfers to hospital after his $500,000 Villa catches fire

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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