End of Vettel's career seems near, even before his F1 season has begun

Sebastian Vettel has missed the first two races of 2022, but was able to watch his team's performance from home. Aston Martin is arguably considered the weakest team on the grid and the question is how long does the four-time world champion want to be part of that?

Debut in F1

Vettel came into Formula 1 like a rocket. At nineteen he made his F1 debut and at 23 he is still the youngest world champion ever. The German immediately won four world titles in a row with Red Bull Racing, but after that the German's career deteriorated rapidly and the question is, how long he will stay in the sport?

At 34, Vettel is not the oldest driver in F1. With Fernando Alonso (40) and Lewis Hamilton (37), he still has some years to go, but where those two are still driven by their ambition to be the best driver, the question is whether Vettel has that drive. Under pressure, he has often found himself in predicaments and has not really grown as a driver.

In 2017 and 2018, Vettel last competed for the title. With Ferrari, he had a car that allowed him to attack Lewis Hamilton, but mistakes under pressure from himself and the team meant that a fifth world title was never really on the table. Hamilton, with the same equipment, proved just a bit too big for the German, who had a very dominant car at Red Bull between 2010 and 2013.

Defeated within the team

As with Red Bull Racing, Vettel also came under pressure at Ferrari. At Red Bull, it was Daniel Ricciardo who proved faster than the German in the final year, and in the last two seasons at Ferrari, Charles Leclerc was the team's new crown prince. Whereas at Red Bull Vettel kept the honor to himself and opted for an adventure at Ferrari, the Italians simply kicked him out.

With Aston Martin, a big name came his way, but with Lawrence Stroll as owner, little seems to come of that for now. Stroll has proven himself to be a strong figure in the business world, but in F1 he appears to be too emotionally involved with his son Lance. Otmar Szafnauer walked out of the door because the owner was interfering too much with the business and it was Ralf Schumacher who revealed that the owner was now even present at technical meetings.

Although it is not certain where Schumacher got this news, it is no secret that the Vettels and Schumachers have a good relationship with each other. Sebastian learned a lot from Michael and he now fills that role for his son Mick. It would therefore not be surprising if Ralf's source is very close to the fire.

End of Vettel's career

Vettel loves racing, but he wants to drive a competitive car. With Aston Martin stiffly behind him and a management he may have reservations about, it is only natural that there are rumors of a possible departure. For example, former team boss Colin Kolles suggested that Covid could also be an excuse by Vettel to avoid racing. The German will return for the Australian Grand Prix. 

At the end of 2022, Vettel's contract expires and if Aston Martin does not deliver a better car soon, there is a good chance that Vettel will leave. The German's reputation has taken a beating in recent years, so there is little chance that he will be able to work for a top team like Ferrari, Mercedes or Red Bull.

Vettel came into Formula 1 like a rocket and also shot through to great heights very quickly. However, he has never been able to fulfill the promise and emulate his idol Schumacher. At the end of 2022, his contract is up and it seems likely that we will not see the German back in F1.