Sebastian Vettel will be missed by them: the drivers are ecstatic and unanimous in their praise of him!

Some on television microphones, like Canal+, others on their social networks, the drivers of the 2022 Formula 1 grid have expressed themselves about the announcement of Sebastian Vettel’s retirement from Formula 1 at the end of the 2022 season.

The driver whom Vettel is closest to in recent years is undoubtedly Mick Schumacher. The German driver took the son of the seven-time world champion under his wing upon his arrival in single-seaters, and their relationship will undoubtedly be missed on the circuits by Mick Schumacher: « I am so sad to see him go, but also so excited for the new chapter he is opening,” the German-Swiss driver explained on his Instagram account. « He is always a very important person to me, and I am grateful for this friendship. Thank you for everything he has done for this sport, and I am eager to experience our last races together. »

Lewis Hamilton has had many battles with the German driver, especially during his time at Ferrari. We remember the braking test in Baku, especially in 2017. However, off the track, they are two drivers who are very close and share similar values. « I am sad to see that it’s the end of an era or almost the end of an era. For me, he is one of the most inspiring drivers that Formula 1 has ever had. He is a friend to me, and of course, I will miss him on the circuits. But that doesn’t mean I won’t see him outside of the circuits. »

Fernando Alonso also had big battles on the track with Vettel. While Vettel was at Red Bull in 2012 and Alonso at Ferrari, they even fought for the driver’s championship until the last race. The two-time world champion also says he is sad: « Very sad to see him leave. He is a great driver, a legend of our sport, and a superb human being with very strong values as well. We will miss him, I had some great battles [with him on the track] and I wish him the best for the future. »

Having spent 6 seasons at Scuderia Ferrari, the relationship he has with Charles Leclerc is different. While some on-track accidents have tarnished their relationship, such as the collision at the second corner of the 2020 Styrian Grand Prix, it was off-track that Vettel had a very positive impact on his development and learning in F1. “We had our battles on the track that didn’t always end well. But the relationship was great all along. In fact, it has evolved a lot since I first met him. From the beginning until the end of his Ferrari period. I arrived in the first year at Ferrari, very impressed, he must have found me strange because I was very shy when talking to him, but in the end, when he left, I was a completely different person and he helped me a lot to grow.”

Pierre Gasly also spoke on Canal+, highlighting his honesty and generosity. He is a legend of our sport. Four-time world champion, not many have achieved that. I have immense respect for the driver he is, but also for the person he is. He is very kind, generous, but I also respect him because he is very vocal with his ideas. I may not always agree with what he says, but at least he is very honest and straightforward.

Esteban Ocon is also very praising of the German’s career and is also sad to see him go. It’s a bit of a shock. I’m a bit sad, to be honest. Seb is a character in the paddock that we all appreciate. He has a voice that carries when needed. He supports us, the drivers. So yes, I am sad, we will miss him. He is a great driver, a great person, and I hope he won’t stay too far from the circuits.

Lance Stroll, who has been sharing the Aston Martin with Vettel for almost two seasons, says he is honored to have been able to share the garage with him: “Seb, congratulations on your phenomenal career. You have always acted with class on and off the track. It is an honor to have been your teammate. Good luck for the future and enjoy the beach!”

« I really enjoyed it. He did a lot of things and now it’s time to move on.
» he also commented on F1 TV.

Max Verstappen was also honored to share the track with Vettel, although the two men never really were on the same teams simultaneously. However, they both stood on several podiums together during the 2018 and 2019 seasons. Vettel was then at Ferrari, Verstappen at Red Bull, already: « In the end, he has done so much in the sport that it is understandable that he wants to retire from the sport. He has won many races, many championships, and he is a great ambassador for this sport. It’s something we could have suspected. When you get older, there is a chance that you will retire. He had his time to win and become what he is, and now there is a time when he must enjoy things differently. »

Daniel Ricciardo, with whom he shared the garage at Eurasia Motorsport in Formula BMW in 2006, only had a few words on Instagram: “What a legend! Good luck, comrade.” He also shared his thoughts on F1 TV: “It’s somewhat sad because you’re losing someone in the sport. But I personally shared many moments with him, which is somewhat of a privilege. It was always interesting to work closely with him, especially when I was a reserve driver. He’s a great guy, we will miss him, but I hope he will miss us too. He’s definitely fast, but he also has great skills in understanding and feeling the car.”

Carlos Sainz on F1 TV shares the same opinion as his teammates: « For me, from the beginning, he has been a role model. I’ve had the opportunity to do simulator work with him, and he is very professional and has given me a lot of advice to become a better driver. He is an ambassador for the sport, but also for young people who want to enter Formula 1 later on. I hope he stays in the paddock and helps improve certain aspects of F1 in the future.

Yuki Tsunoda doesn’t know him very well but still speaks highly of him: “I have only really known him for 2 years. He has a great personality and is a very good ambassador in F1. I am lucky to have been able to drive with him, as Aston Martin and AlphaTauri are close in performance, and I have been able to learn a lot from his driving. For me, it’s sad but at the same time, I am happy for him.”

George Russell is also part of this new generation who doesn’t know Vettel very well but saw him as an F1 driver when he was little. He is a very humble and inspiring person. It’s great that he’s here, but he has other plans for the future with his family and children, and he will never truly stop. He is a great source of inspiration.

Alex Albon is eager to know what will happen in Vettel’s future. “(D) I am getting to know him, especially this season, but I can see what he is capable of doing on the circuits and he is one of the few with so many driver titles. He also does a lot outside of sports and he is an inspiration. I am very interested to see what he will do now outside of the circuits.”

Kevin Magnussen saw him as a legend of the sport before arriving in Formula 1: (e) As a legend of our sport before I arrived in F1, he was one of the people I had the most interest in. He was so dominant, he’s a legend. I wish him all the best for the future.

Valtteri Bottas has had many battles with Vettel at Ferrari and Mercedes. I have had many battles with him on track and I really enjoyed having him there. He fights hard on the track but always fair play. He is a great guy to know. He is not afraid to make his voice heard. It’s cool and he has all my respect.