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Sebastian Vettel
“a name synonymous with Formula 1 greatness, has left an indelible mark on motorsport history. The German racing driver, born on July 3, 1987, in Heppenheim, enjoyed an illustrious career filled with record-breaking achievements and unforgettable moments”
“Vettel made his Formula 1 debut in 2007 with BMW Sauber before securing a full-time seat with Toro Rosso in 2008”
Sebastian sat in his lounge chair, reading an article about himself that popped up on his laptop feed. Why was he reading it, he didn’t know. Its not like he was a narcissist and needed a fix of attention, so he read news articles about himself. No that’s not what he was like at all.
“He claimed his maiden Grand Prix victory at Monza in wet conditions, becoming the youngest F1 race winner at the time”
Seb remembered that time well, how happy he felt.
“In 2009, Vettel joined Red Bull Racing, a move that would define his career. Between 2010 and 2013, Vettel dominated the sport, winning four consecutive World Championships”
He didn’t know what lured him into reading this article, I mean he lived it its not like he needed his memory re jogged.
“After his Red Bull success, Vettel transitioned to Ferrari in 2015, chasing the dream of emulating his idol, Michael Schumacher. While he came close to championship glory in 2017 and 2018, narrowly missing out to Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton, his time at Ferrari showcased his resilience and leadership during challenging times”
Sebastian smiled; the article did say a lot of nice things about him. He remembered back to his time in Ferrari. He remembered how he missed out to winning more world championships in the team when put up against Lewis. Lewis was a fighter. Thinking back on it now he realized that there was no need to win another championship, he had 4 under his belt. That’s more than most. He missed driving though, he missed his friends, he missed putting up fights and being a world champion contender.
“Vettel’s final chapter in Formula 1 came with Aston Martin in 2021 and 2022. Despite a less competitive car, he continued to demonstrate his race craft and passion for the sport. Off the track, Vettel became a vocal advocate for environmental issues, diversity, and human rights, earning widespread admiration.”
“After announcing his retirement at the end of the 2022 season, Vettel left behind a legacy of 53 race victories, 57 pole positions, and four world titles. Today, he is remembered not only for his achievements but also for his charisma, sportsmanship, and dedication to making the world a better place.”
Clicking out of the tab on his laptop, Sebastian sighed. After his retirement he memorized every achievement of his, how he felt. Still to this day he thinks back to all the times he laughed and cried and screamed. How driving in f1 gave him such a rush. He missed all the people he met. His past teammates – Lance, Charles, Kimi, Daniel, Mark and Sebastien - his past rivals. He missed the teams he drove for and their respective crews.
He also remembers the hardships that came with driving. He loved F1 but after stepping out of the car after each race he couldn’t help but think about all the worlds resources were being wasted on travelling.
He looked out over his farm, he was personally advertising for change now. Often spoke out about climate change issues, wore clothes that had political statements on them. Just recently he attended the race at Suzuka for the 2023 Japan GP and told everyone about his plans for a bee hotel. He wanted to highlight the subject of biodiversity through bugs and insects. This was similar to the insect hotel he promoted back in 2021.
He was so passionate about this project to help all of earths animals. In a statement he recalled saying
“we have to celebrate variety, not just in human beings, but also in nature – and we have to protect it.”
And he would stand by this message for the rest of his life.
Another news article written by F1 on the event sparked his interest – okay maybe he read to many articles about himself. He was reading it when he saw all the things Lewis had said on that day to the media. A statement about him being outspoke and showing real compassion for the world we are living in stood out to him. He started tearing up at the memory. When he came to the circuit and told the drivers and media about this, he really didn’t know what to expect. He was ready for backlash. But seeing that, seeing that a friend of his had truly cared for his idea and was willing to help promote it meant so much to him.
Distantly he remembered that while reading he thought something along the lines of ‘of course it was Hamilton’. Lewis had spoken up about his own thoughts on Black Lives Matter and LGBTQ+ rights, so it should have been no surprise to Sebastian that Lewis would be the one to back him up.
Along with the memory of Lewis he thought back to all the other he drove with. He had no idea what brought him to read the article but now all he was left with was memories of the past. A past he could not easily forget, not that he wanted to. Everything in his life up till now had meant so much to him, completing his dream of racing in F1, gaining championships and friends, striving for a change. Time flew by, while he was still stuck in the past, slowly moving forward, everyone else seemed to be welcoming the change.
Wiping away the moisture left on his cheeks, he pulled out his phone and created a group chat. He didn’t have to sit through this pain alone.