Countdown to withdrawal Sebastian Vettel of Formula 1. He has two races left behind the wheel of Aston Martin. His seat will be taken by the Spanish Fernando Alonso starting next winter. The German has recounted how bad he had it in 2019, when he shared the Ferrari box with Charles Leclerc.
In statements collected by ‘Motorsport’, Vettel talks about Leclerc’s arrival at Maranello: “Leclerc got behind the wheel and stepped on the accelerator. He drove the way I saw myself in my first years of Formula 1” .
“That did something to me. I didn’t understand right away. Expending so much energy two years in a row, also mentally, and then running into the void, then doubts arose: will this mean something?” asks the four-time Formula 1 champion.
And he kept asking himself questions: “Somehow, I still had some open questions or open accounts with myself. Can I still do it? Am I good enough to be among the first in Formula 1?
He notes that his retirement is directly related to the current performance of the Aston Martin: “The fact that I’m not currently sitting in a car where I can show what I’m really capable of also contributed to my retirement.”
Because although the English team has improved its performance in recent weeks, it has nothing to do with what they promised when buying the equipment. He is seventh in the constructors’ standings, having passed Haas and AlphaTauri in recent races.
Alonso, who will be Vettel’s replacement, hopes that the team will continue to progress in 2023. Aston Martin has already stated that the goal is “lead the middle zone” to reach more important results in the near future in the Great Circus.
