Four-time F1 champ says what it will take for him to continue racing beyond 2022.
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Sebastian Vettel says his future beyond Formula 1 is an “issue” that is now raising its head.
In recent days and weeks, some have suggested the time is nearing when the four-time F1 champion will hang up his helmet.
Those rumors have only intensified amid Aston Martin’s competitive struggles this year, with both the team and the 34-year-old driver admitting the current contract runs out at the end of this season. Aston Martin is ninth in the F1 Constructors’ Standings, just ahead of hapless Williams
“I’m still here,” Vettel told European media outlet Bild newspaper. “My contract is to the end of the year. A decision has not yet been made. It depends on how strong the car is, how the team develops and how the races go. But I don’t have to lie—my future is an issue that’s coming my way. And I’m dealing with it.”
If “how the races go” is the determining factor, it’s worth noting that Vettel has not won a race and has just two podium finishes since 2019. He missed the first two races of 2022 due to COVID-19 protocols.
New Aston Martin team principal Mike Krack said at Imola, site of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, that he would like Vettel to stay motivated and remain with the team in 2023.
Vettel said, “The truth is, I have many ideas, I talk to many people and I am easily inspired.”
Sebastian Vettel finished eighth at Imola to score his first points of the season.
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He is clearly talking about opportunities that are now cropping up about how he will spend his time after retiring from Formula 1, with one obvious interest being environmentalism and sustainability.
“But I’m not putting myself under any pressure to create the perfect subsequent career tomorrow,” said Vettel. “I don’t want to raise expectations about finding what’s perfect.I’ve found something in Formula 1 that I’m very good at. Something where I can compete with the best in the world. What comes after that, time will tell.
“I said two years ago ‘I’ll be driving for two more years’. But I don’t think about life after that everyday.”
Keyword: Sebastian Vettel Contemplates End of F1 Career as Contract with Aston Martin Nears End