Vettel told when he first thought about resignation

Before the summer break, Sebastian Vettel announced his retirement at the end of the season. The Aston Martin driver said he started thinking about quitting a few years ago when he failed to win the title with Ferrari.

Sebastian Vettel: “Two years ago I started thinking about leaving. When things weren’t going well at Aston Martin, I wondered: can I do my job? A professional can’t say things like that without being judged, but what if they are? Personal weakness and thoughts about it are reflected in the work. The past two years have been invaluable to me, because I have been able to understand and think through everything.

first thoughts [об уходе] started appearing when my kids were born, I just didn’t think about it then. I don’t speak negatively, but after the birth of children, part of my life is no longer mine, but the children’s.

I didn’t think of anything like that until 2013, when everything was perfect. The first failures came in 2014, when my demands exceeded our capabilities. The cars have changed, the automation has done a lot for the driver and I didn’t like it. Then we had no chance against Mercedes.

The switch to Ferrari and new challenges spurred me on. Michael Schumacher has always been my role model. I thought about his titles and also wanted to be champion in a red car. The enthusiasm lasted until 2018, when I was close to winning the championship, but then the desired goal was not achieved.

The 2019 season proved sobering, as our car’s chassis was unsuitable for a powerful engine. At the same time, my children started growing up. It sharpened my view of what was happening and how much my environment was changing.”