Now that the dust has settled on Sebastian Vettel’s remarkable FIA Formula 1 World Championship career, the German has taken the time to speak on how he feels ‘very lucky’ to have enjoyed such a fond farewell from the sport.
From the moment the four-time world champion announced his intentions to retire from Formula 1 the tributes started to pour in from across the paddock, not only recognising the greatness that Vettel brought to the track in Formula 1 but also the larger impact that the German has left on the sport from his tireless work off the track.
Those tributes came to a conclusion at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, with the Scuderia Ferrari team gifting Vettel one of his former engine covers signed by the entire Scuderia team. While Oracle Red Bull Racing gifted the thirty-five year old a wing endplate from one of his world championship winning Red Bull cars.
Further tributes came in Abu Dhabi as a number of personnel from the F1 paddock joined Vettel to run a lap around the Yas Marina Circuit while wearing t-shirts labelled ‘Danke Seb’ on the front of them.
While later that evening, Lewis Hamilton would then organise a get together for the twenty drivers of the 2022 Formula 1 grid to enjoy a meal together in one of Abu Dhabi’s finest restaurants. Allowing Vettel and his peers the chance to celebrate his esteemed career in a private atmosphere away from the spotlight of the media.
Speaking to ServusTV at a Red Bull special event insider Hanger-7, Vettel admitted that his farewell from Formula 1 was made ‘twice as hard’ as a result of the strong recognition that he received from his fellow peers.
“It was a bit strange, you don’t really know what to expect. I’m very lucky that I was able to celebrate such a nice farewell. The recognition from the other drivers means a lot to me. It was something special, and that makes it twice as hard.”
Speaking alongside the Red Bull trio of Christian Horner, Helmut Marko and Max Verstappen on ServusTV’s show, Vettel also spoke on just how impressed he was with Verstappen’s dominant showing across the 2022 campaign, as the Dutchmen successfully claimed his second world championship in as many years.
“I can only congratulate Max – his performance in 2022 was phenomenal,” Vettel remarked.
“There has never been a Formula 1 driver who has come along like that and also been a bit cheeky right away.
“He already has an incredible flair, you can see that when you see what he does with the car. And he reads situations in the race extremely quickly. You can only take your hat off to him.”
