SEBASTIAN Vettel's greatest success is a distant memory but the four times world champion will leave Formula One at the end of this year with more fans than he had in his heyday.
Vettel won his last title with Red Bull almost a decade ago while it has been nearly three years since the 35-year-old German, then at Ferrari, last won a race.
News on Thursday of his departure at the end of the season nonetheless triggered an outpouring of appreciation, with the Aston Martin driver hailed as a 'legend', 'inspiration', 'ambassador', 'one of the all-time greats and 'class act'.
"Everyone in the paddock loves him," Spaniard Carlos Sainz, a simulator driver at Red Bull when Vettel was chalking up back-to-back championship success with that team, told reporters at the Hungarian Grand Prix on Thursday.
"You will not hear someone speaking bad about Seb.
"I think this just speaks about his personality, his life as a human being not only as a driver," added the 27-year-old, who replaced the German at Ferrari last year.
Old rival and seven times world champion Lewis Hamilton said Vettel was "leaving this sport better than you found it which is always the goal."
"Such an inspiration and such a humble bloke," added the Briton’s Mercedes team mate George Russell.
The tone of the tributes reflected the transformation Vettel has undergone since making his Formula One debut in 2007.
HARDCORE PETROLHEAD
A hardcore 'petrolhead', lover of rock classics and keen student of the sport’s history, he once gave his cars names like 'Randy Mandy' and 'Kinky Kylie' and mourned the passing of the loud and gas-guzzling V10 era.
The father of three, married to his childhood sweetheart, is now outspoken on topics ranging from the environment and sustainability to LGBTQ+ rights.
He collects litter from the stands after races, cycles to work and has completed an internship in organic farming and creating a bee habitat.
The German even used sustainable fuel while conducting a demo run in Nigel Mansell’s 1992 British Grand Prix-winning Williams, which Vettel now owns, to celebrate the 30th anniversary of that triumph at Silverstone.
"I feel we live in very decisive times and how we all shape these next years will determine our lives," said Vettel in his retirement announcement.
"My (F1) passion comes with certain aspects that I’ve learned to dislike."
In 2013 Vettel was seen by some as a 'villain', snatching victory from team mate Mark Webber in Malaysia in 2013 and swerving into Hamilton’s Mercedes in Baku in 2018.
He will leave as still the youngest world champion, his 53 wins placing him third in the all-time list led by Hamilton and Michael Schumacher, his boyhood hero.
Only Schumacher, Hamilton and 1950s great Juan Manuel Fangio won more titles.
"He has achieved so much in the sport that it’s really understandable for him to retire," said Red Bull's reigning champion Max Verstappen.
"He’s had an amazing career, he’s won a lot of races, he’s won a lot of championships as well ... he’s a great ambassador for the sport."
Reuters
Fri Jul 29 2022
Aston Martin's Sebastian Vettel signs autographs for fans ahead of the Grand Prix, Formula One F1 - Hungarian Grand Prix, Hungaroring, Budapest, Hungary - July 28, 2022. - REUTERS
Tiada tepung di pasaran tempatan mengandungi benzoil peroksida melebihi kadar dibenarkan - KKM
Tiada mana-mana jenama tepung di pasaran tempatan mengandungi benzoil peroksida melebihi paras yang dibenarkan di bawah undang-undang.
Freedom Flotilla to Gaza: Semua delegasi diminta pulang, FFC akan maklumkan tarikh baharu misi
Menurut Jawatankuasa Pemandu FFC, Ann Wright, pihaknya akan memaklumkan perkembangan terbaharu kepada semua delegasi terlibat sekiranya tarikh akhir pelayaran ditetapkan.
Bytedance enggan jual TikTok di Amerika Syarikat
BYTEDANCE kini mengatakan mereka tidak akan menjual perniagaan TikTok di Amerika Syarikat (AS).
Malaysia komited tingkat hubungan dua hala bersama Libya
Malaysia terus komited mempertingkatkan hubungan dua hala yang berterusan bersama Libya demi manfaat bersama dalam pelbagai sektor.
Cegah jenayah: Kerjasama komuniti kekang jenayah secara holistik
Jelasnya, program seumpama ini diharap dapat memberikan pendedahan tentang pencegahan jenayah dan menzahirkan aspirasi PDRM untuk penglibatan aktif warga komuniti dalam memerangi aktiviti jenayah.
PRK Kuala Kubu Baharu: Boon Lai tarik diri saat akhir
Hasrat Chng Boon Lai menjadi salah seorang calon Pilihan Raya Kecil (PRK) Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) Kuala Kubu Baharu tidak kesampaian.
PRK N06 KKB: Kerajaan Perpaduan akan dibebani dengan isu semasa - Muhyiddin
Pilihan Raya Kecil Kuala Kubu Baharu kali ini akan menyaksikan Kerajaan Perpaduan ‘dibebani’ dengan isu-isu semasa yang dilihat membebankan rakyat, tegas bekas Perdana Menteri yang juga Pengerusi Perikatan Nasional, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
PRK N06 KKB: UMNO, BN dukung calon PH demi Kerajaan Perpaduan – Ahmad Zahid
UMNO dan Barisan Nasional berpegang kepada prinsip mendukung calon yang mewakili Kerajaan Perpaduan, iaitu Pang Sock Tao, biarpun beliau berasal daripada parti DAP yang pernah menjadi seteru mereka satu ketika dulu.
PRK Kuala Kubu Baharu: Isu akademik, Khairul Azhari mahu fokus pilihan raya
Calon PN bagi PRK Kuala Kubu Baharu, Khairul Azhari Saut enggan mengulas kontroversi melibatkan kelayakan akademiknya yang tular.
AWANI Ringkas: Pertembungan PKR, PN, PRM & Bebas
Ikuti rangkuman berita utama yang menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari di Astro AWANI menerusi AWANI Ringkas.
F1: Dominasi Max Verstappen tidak peroleh penghargaan sewajarnya - Fernando Alonso
Verstappen menyamai rekod Sebastian Vettel yang mencatatkan sembilan kemenangan berturut-turut dengan aksi cemerlang dalam GP Belanda.
F1: Sebastian Vettel umum bersara akhir musim
Sebastian Vettel akan menamatkan kerjayanya sebagai pelumba Formula Satu (F1) di penghujung musim.
F1: Vettel tidak akan sertai GP Rusia selepas serangan ke atas Ukraine
Sebastian Vettel mendedahkan bahawa dia sudah membuat keputusan untuk tidak menyertai perlumbaan Formula 1 (F1) Grand Prix Rusia pada September depan.
F1: Kesilapan punca Verstappen bermula di belakang duo Mercedes
Kali terakhir pemandu F1 yang mewakili Red Bull itu menang ialah di Imola dan pasukannya sekali lagi kelihatan menikmati rentak terbaik di Portimao dalam pusingan kelayakan.
Vettel patut pilih untuk bersara - Jackie Stewart
Vettel mengakui sebelum menandatangani dengan Aston Martin bahawa bersara adalah pilihan yang sedang dipertimbangkan, dan Stewart berasakan meninggalkan F1 pasti menjadi pilihan yang baik.
'Kegiatan gila' jika benar Ferarri usir Vettel - Button
Ferrari minggu lalu mengumumkan kerjasama mereka bersama Vettel tidak akan dilanjutkan sejurus musim 2020 berakhir setelah gagal mencapai kesepakatan.
Button terkejut dengan keputusan Vettel tinggalkan Ferrari
Vettel menafikan wang adalah alasan pemergiannya, dengan menyatakan kedua-dua pihak "tidak mempunyai keinginan untuk tetap bersama."
F1 GP Australia: Tuah musim baharu untuk Bottas?
Valterri Bottas atasi Lewis Hamilton untuk muncul juara GP Australia dalam perlumbaan pembukaan F1 musim ini.
Raikkonen tangguh pesta kejuaraan Hamilton di Austin
Juara bertahan, Hamilton, berpeluang untuk merangkul kejuaraan pemandu di Austin, begitupun dia hanya mampu menamatkan saingan di tempat ketiga di depan seteru utamanya, Sebastian Vettel.
Lewis Hamilton menang GP Singapura, Sebastian Vettel di tempat ketiga
Ia sekali gus mengukuhkan kedudukannya untuk menang gelaran dunia sekali lagi.