Four-time world champion and current Aston Martin driver, Sebastian Vettel, shocked his fans after he announced his retirement from Formula 1 at the end of the 2022 season.

The German racing legend made the announcement via his newly opened Instagram account ahead of this weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix. In his post, Vettel made it clear that spending more time with his wife and three young children and his concerns over environmental issues were some of his top priorities for the future.

“I hereby announce my retirement from Formula One by the end of the 2022 season. I love this sport. It has been central to my life since I can remember. But as much as there is life on track, there’s my life off track too. Being a racing driver has never been my sole identity,” Vettel mentioned in his video statement.

“My goals have shifted from winning races and fighting for championships to seeing my children grow, passing on my values, helping them up when they fall, listening to them when they need me, not having to say goodbye and, most importantly, being able to learn from them and let them inspire me.”

“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,” he added.

Sebastian Vettel won his first three F1 titles with team Red Bull consecutively from 2010 to 2013, while his last race win was in 2019 with Ferrari. He is also third on the all-time list of Grand Prix winners with 53 victories to his name.
 

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