Vettel: No retirement regrets, pleased with Aston success

Sebastian Vettel says he is adjusting well to his life post-F1 and insists he does not regret retiring from the sport despite Aston Martin’s impressive performance this season.

Vettel opted to depart the grid at the end of last year after an exceptional career in Grand Prix racing that spanned sixteen years and that rewarded him with 53 wins and four world titles.

In 2021, Vettel moved from Ferrari to Aston Martin where the German helped lay the foundation for the team’s current success.

Vettel had little to show for his efforts during his two seasons with Team Silverstone, but team boss Mike Krack insists his former driver has a hand in the performance of Aston’s AMR23 this season.

• Read also: Krack was '100 per cent tempted' to call back Vettel

"I think he has his merits in where the [AMR23] is today," Krack told the media in Australia.

"We had many, many meetings last year where he gave us a hint: do this, or do that, or do not do this with the new car, so I think he has his merits in here."

In an interview with Auto Bild, Vettel said that he was attentive to current developments and impressed by his former outfit’s impressive step forward.

"I'm currently following it as a spectator – with a lot of insider knowledge of the last few years," he said. "I'm interested, of course."

"It's always difficult to predict what will happen next year.

"That's why the joy for the team prevails, of course. I'm pleased that things are going so well. That it will be better than last year was clear, because last year was pretty bad."

As for spending his weekends as an armchair enthusiast rather than as being part of the action, Vettel is content with his new life.

"No matter what scenario takes place now, I made my decision regardless of how it could have gone this year.

"At the moment I'm doing well in my new situation and I'm looking forward to pursuing things that interest me and immersing myself in different topics.

"I'm enjoying time at home with the kids and family. I'm gathering a lot of ideas and drifting before anything more concrete comes out of it."

Asked if he felt that Aston’s drivers are now benefitting from the teething issues he faced and helped solve, Vettel said: "No, I don't see it that way.

"I have no regrets about stepping down. Of course it would be easier if the car wasn't quite as good now, but that's where the joy really outweighs the regret.

"Also for him [Alonso]. He had a few years where he didn't have a good car and so maybe he's having a second spring."

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