Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, July 28 (Xinhua) -- Four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel of the Formula One World Championship (F1) announced on his personal social media that he will retire after the 2022 season.
"It was a tough decision for me to retire and I spent a lot of time thinking about it," said Vettel, who currently plays for Aston Martin.
"Today is not a day to say goodbye. On the contrary, this is a day to say thank you to everyone, especially the fans. Without their passionate support, F1 would not be a sport."
"I hope what I did last year, and what I will continue to do this year, will help the team grow and win in the future. I'm going to take that goal and work as hard as I can between now and the end of the year. , as always in the last 10 races with the best results," Vettel said in the video.
The 35-year-old Vettel started his F1 career in the 2007 United States Grand Prix by replacing BMW Sauber driver Kubica, who was absent due to injury, and finished eighth in his first race.
In the same year, Vettel moved to Toro Rosso and won his first F1 championship in the 2008 Italian Grand Prix.
In 2009, the German driver joined Red Bull Racing and subsequently won the drivers' championship for four consecutive years in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013.
In 2015, Vettel moved to Ferrari and will join Aston Martin for the 2021 season.
In his 15-year career, Vettel has won 122 podiums and is the third-most-winning driver in F1 history, trailing Hamilton's 103 and Schumacher's 91 with 53.