Tributes flood in for retiring Sebastian Vettel

Jon Wilde
Sebastian Vettel waving next to his Aston Martin. Red Bull Ring July 2022.

Sebastian Vettel waving next to his Aston Martin car at the Austrian Grand Prix. Red Bull Ring July 2022.

Leading Formula 1 personalities have been paying tribute to Sebastian Vettel following his announcement that he is retiring the sport at the end of this season.

Having made his debut at the 2007 United States Grand Prix, the German is set to call it 300 races and out when he bids farewell at the Abu Dhabi GP in November.

Vettel won all four of his World Championships for Red Bull between 2010 and 2013, and the team with whom he enjoyed most success were quick to express their gratitude upon news of his impending goodbye.

In 2005, Vettel tested for Williams at Jerez after winning the Rookie Cup award in the Formula 3 Euro Series.

McLaren were always a rival of Vettel’s, most notably during his time at Red Bull, but they were also quick to send their well wishes.

Likewise Alpine, whose Esteban Ocon was the driver Vettel battled in vain with for the win at the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix – only for the German to be subsequently disqualified for a fuel infringement. Alpine’s other current driver, Fernando Alonso, has been a long-time rival of Vettel.

And of course, Aston Martin are Vettel’s current team – who are now tasked with finding a driver to replace him for 2023. Who will that be, we wonder?

Martin Brundle has also passed on his best wishes to the four-time World Champion and, we agree, this won’t be goodbye to Sebastian Vettel, it is merely a farewell.

Mick Schumacher expressed his sadness at Vettel’s decision to retire, but the close bond forged with him will last a lifetime.

Lewis Hamilton was the next to pay tribute to a driver who he came to know very well growing up through the motorsport ranks together.

It was very much a love-hate relationship between Sebastian Vettel and Ferrari, but his former team put any old differences aside by posting this classy message.

It wasn’t just current drivers and teams posting tributes to Vettel, it was ex-Formula 1 racers as well…

That was then followed by a lengthy tribute from the man who was tasked with replacing Vettel at Ferrari: Carlos Sainz.

Lando Norris, who is 13 years younger than Vettel, described Vettel as “a guy I looked up to since I started, literally.”