Just before Formula 1’s break for the summer, Formula 1 legend Sebastian Vettel announced his retirement. In a message to his fans, he said he would be retiring from Formula 1 at the end of the 2022 season. This came after much speculation over his future. His contract was over with Aston Martin. The 2022 season will be his 15th and final campaign.
The German driver, who joined Formula 1 in 2007 with BMW Sauber, said he was committed to doing his very best until the very end. In the end he will have raced in over 300 Grand Prix. To say the sport and the community will miss him is an understatement.
Over his years in Formula 1, Vettel became four-time world champion, stepped on 122 podiums, scored 3085 points and has over 50 pole positions to his name. The stats alone prove that he is one of the greats. But Vettel has also had many wins outside of racing.
1 – Maiden win
Sebastian Vettel did not wait very long to score his first win in Formula 1. Indeed, that first win came just after the midway point of the 2008 season in Monza. Vettel, at the time racing for Toro Rosso (now Alpha Tauri), went to claim his first win from pole position in treacherous raining conditions.
He was 21 years old and 74 days. The youngest driver to ever win a race. Well, before Max Verstappen entered the scene. Still, it was an incredible feat in some horrendous conditions.
All those years ago he proved that he was on track for greatness. And he did not disappoint his fans.
2 – First world championship
Hearing the words ‘Sebastian Vettel you are the World Champion, the World Champion’ is bound to make anyone tear up. Even 12 years later. Vettel’s reaction was priceless. ‘Thank you, I love you‘ was what he replied on the team radio when he was told.
He moved to Red Bull for the start of the 2009 season and became World Champion in 2010. That year the championship was fought all the way until the end of the season. Four drivers fought for the championship that year, Alonso, Hamilton, Webber and Vettel. In the end the German prevailed.
A 1-2 with his teammate Mark Webber in Brazil gave Red Bull the constructor’s championship but its in a fight against Fernando Alonso that Vettel clinched his first world championship. That year he became the youngest word drivers champion.
3 – Domination
Sebastian Vettel well and truly dominated Formula 1 over the next few years. In his Red Bull he was unbeatable. So much so that over the next four years he claimed the World Drivers Championship every year. All before he was 26.
In 2013 he won the Indian Grand Prix. Right then and there he became only the third driver to score four championships consecutively. He had officially joined the likes of Michael Schumacher and Juan Manuel Fangio. That year he was even seen bowing to his car.
What he had done would never have been possible without his car. What he had achieved meant the absolute world to him. His reactions to being told he is the Word Champion really make us love him even more.
4 – Move to Ferrari
After winning four WDC, Vettel made the choice to move to the prancing horse team at the start of the 2015 season. Ferrari is known for its great drivers. Micheal Schumacher, Ascari, Fangio, Niki Lauda. One of the greats was joining the best team on the grid.
However, that year he faced tough competition from Mercedes and Hamilton. He ended the season in 3rd place. It was clear that his move to the Scuderria had not gone exactly as planned. But that did not matter, Vettel was still part of the greats.
5 – Seb on a scooter
After an engine failure in FP1 at the Australian Grand Prix this year, Sebastian Vettel took a scooter on a joyride back to the pit lane, waving as he went by. The German driver had been unable to drive in the first two races of the season due to COVID-19 but he made up for it when he came back in Australia.
However, whilst most of us think of this as absolutely hilarious, the stewards did not see it in such a way. Far from it. Indeed he was given a 5,000 Euro fine for entering the track without permission.
Oh well, at least he provides us with quality entertainment!
6 – Azerbaijan Grand Prix 2021
His only podium with Aston Martin so far (2021 Hunagrian GP podium taken away), came at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in 2021. After already quite a strange race, tires blowing up, including his teammate’s Lance Stroll, Vettel took advantage of Hamilton going straight at the restart. He came in second and came home with a nice shiny trophy.
It was so exciting seeing him back on the podium.
