Rumors
Vettel considering retirement from F1 at end of 2019 season?
- Jake Williams-Smith
Sebastian Vettel could be competing in his last season in Formula 1 according to rumours after the Monaco Grand Prix.
The German has endured a difficult period at Ferrari after moving to the Prancing Horse in the hopes of emulating Michael Schumacher and ending a long championship drought for the Scuderia.
Despite having a contract for the 2020 season, Vettel may be calling time on his career a year early according to Joe Saward's 'business of motorsport' newsletter.
In his post-Monaco Grand Prix newsletter, Saward reported that Vettel may be considering a move away from Formula 1 at the end of the current season.
"The most shocking rumor that started to spread in the paddock in Monaco is that Sebastian Vettel is considering retiring from F1 at the end of the season at the age of 31.
"After winning four world championships with Red Bull between 2010 and 2013 he tried to bring Ferrari back to success, but he made several mistakes and is now under pressure after the arrival of Charles Leclerc, younger and apparently with more growth margin than German.
"A choice that in some ways would follow that of Nico Rosberg, who left F1 after winning the title in 2016 aware of the fact that he would hardly succeed in the enterprise again. The big question, of course, is who would be Vettel's successor.
"The names that have been circulating for now are those of Sergio Perez, Kevin Magnussen, Romain Grosjean and Valtteri Bottas."