"I wish that sometimes it just wouldn't swing as high and as low" - Sebastian Vettel on retiring from F1
Sebastian Vettel does not feel he's retiring at the wrong time or too early from F1, ahead of the Mexican GP this weekend. The Aston Martin driver announced his retirement early in the season, explaining that he wanted to try different things in life.
However, considering his performances this season, it's fair to say that Vettel has still got it and is clearly capable of putting together some amazing drives given the right car.
David Croft from Sky Sports asked Vettel if he was retiring too early from the sport.
Vettel out there playing survival mode last year 😭 https://t.co/SzVaS3Mvg1
Vettel replied in the negative and elaborated that it was a decision he had thought over for a while and not made emotionally or in haste. He said:
"No. It's funny you say that? I think it's maybe… I don't know if it's a thing in Formula 1 or is it a general thing in our lives nowadays that we… to answer your question: no. I thought about this decision long and hard and from a lot of angles. But yeah, I don't know if… I find it's a bit sad that we tend to swing so much now."
He continued:
"I see the benefits of having emotions running high and low rather than just being flat but I think the judging in general, it's a bit too quick. We create a hype and too quickly we create like a massive – I don't want to say disappointment and not because of my situation now, the last races versus maybe the mid part of the season – so it's more of a general thing."
Two of the foundations from the Juan Manuel Fangio Museum met former champion Sebastian Vettel in Mexico😍
#Seb5: "I'm a fan of Michael Schumacher, but Fangio is a little bit better... the best, the best, the king."
#MexicoGP #Vettel #F1 #SV5 https://t.co/g4x5j1ElqS
Vettel did, however, admit that the last few races have been enjoyable, which makes the sport fun and entertaining. He said:
"Yeah, I obviously enjoyed the last two races, last couple of races more than I did maybe some in the mid-part of the season, but they have no impact on the decision. And if anything it’s a great reminder of why I love this sport so much, why I love racing so much."
"I had great races, and I really enjoyed them, but I also had races that I didn't enjoy so much, and I was wishing after five laps to see the chequered flag, and it didn't come out. So you still have to find the motivation in that and hang in there. But yeah, I wish that sometimes it just wouldn't swing as high and as low."
The German (36) is 11th in the standings, with three races to go on the season.
Sebastian Vettel hoping to carry momentum into next few races
Sebastian Vettel hopess to carry the momentum of the last few races into this weekend. The German has scored points in Singapore, Japan, and Austin and wants to continue that in the Mexican GP this weekend. He said:
"Well, I hope we can carry the momentum. Obviously the last races have been good for us in terms of overall pace. We were able to be a little stronger and closer to the points positions."
He continued:
"Austin, in particular, we’ve been very competitive, been more competitive than Alpine and McLaren for the first time this year, which was a very good and positive surprise and we hope to keep that up but we have to be realistic. This is a different track so we will see how we get on but just looking forward to hopefully sense a good car underneath me and enjoy the racing that I have left."
Vettel's race in Mexico will be the last time he will race at the circuit. He has had a few podium finishes but has not won.