Breaking: Sebastian Vettel to retire from Formula 1

Four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel is to retire from Formula 1 at the end of this season.

The 35-year-old said the decision had been “difficult” and that he had “spent a lot of time thinking about it”.

The German said he would “take more time to reflect on what I will focus on next” at the end of the year. He said spending more time with his family was a priority.

Vettel will leave the sport as one of the most successful drivers in history.

Only Lewis Hamilton, Michael Schumacher and Juan Manuel Fangio have won more world titles than Vettel, and only Hamilton and Schumacher have more than his 53 race wins.

He added: “Today is not about saying goodbye. Rather, it is about saying thank you – to everyone – not least to the fans, without whose passionate support F1 could not exist.”

Vettel, who won four consecutive drivers’ titles with Red Bull from 2010 to 2013, said he had “really enjoyed” his time with Aston Martin in 2021 and 2022, adding: “Although our results have not been as good as we had hoped, it is very clear to me that everything is being put together that a team needs to race at the very highest level for years to come.

Details later….