Sebastian Vettel, four-time world champion, to retire from F1 after end of 2022 season

Four-time Formula One world champion Sebastian Vettel will retire at the end of the ongoing season, Aston Martin announced on Thursday. Vettel he lies third on the all-time list of Grand Prix winners, with 53 victories, behind only Lewis Hamilton (103) and Michael Schumacher (91).

“Sebastian Vettel will retire from #F1 at the end of the 2022 season, bringing one of the greatest careers in the history of the sport to a close,” Team Aston Martin wrote on its official Twitter account.

In a statement from Vettel that was released on the official website of Team Aston Martin, Vettel thanked the F1 fraternity for continued support over his 15-year long career.

“I have had the privilege of working with many fantastic people in Formula One over the past 15 years - there are far too many to mention and thank,” Vettel said.

"Over the past two years I have been an Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant Formula One Team driver - and, although our results have not been as good as we had hoped, it is very clear to me that everything is being put together that a team needs to race at the very highest level for years to come."

I hope that the work I did last year and am continuing to do this year will be helpful in the development of a team that will win in the future."

Talking about his decision to retire from F1, Vettel said that he wants to spend more time with his family and had been contemplating over the decision for some time now.

“The decision to retire has been a difficult one for me to take, and I have spent a lot of time thinking about it; at the end of the year I want to take some more time to reflect on what I will focus on next; it is very clear to me that, being a father, I want to spend more time with my family. But today is not about saying goodbye,” said the four-time champion.

“Rather, it is about saying thank you - to everyone - not least to the fans, without whose passionate support Formula One could not exist.”