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‘Laps like this make me sad’: Sebastian Vettel alludes to retirement regrets after choosing to take time off from his stellar career at the end of the season… as the Aston Martin driver basks in a fruitful qualifying session at the Japanese Grand Prix
- Sebastian Vettel admitted he feels ‘sad’ about leaving F1 at the end of the season
- The German performed great in qualifying and finished ninth on the grid
- He will finish his career with a perfect record of top 10 starts in the Japanese GP
- Vettel said: “I’ve enjoyed it so much over the years – and I’ve had a great day’
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Sebastian Vettel hinted he may be retiring early at the end of the season after a successful qualifying session left him feeling ‘sad’ at Saturday’s Japanese Grand Prix.
The Aston Martin star made Q3 against all odds – a feat his team has struggled with this year – and admitted his fantastic performance left him “sad” with the prospect of impending retirement.
After securing ninth on the grid for Sunday’s race, Vettel maintained his perfect career record of top 10 starts at Suzuka.
Sebastian Vettel admitted the prospect of retiring at the end of the season made him feel ‘sad’
The German starts the Japanese Grand Prix in ninth on the grid after a great day of qualifying
“It’s so much more fun here than on the other circuits,” Vettel insisted after qualifying.
“The cars and the speeds are great, but this place makes you feel alive. I’ve enjoyed it so much over the years – and I had a great day today.
“We’ll see what we can do tomorrow, but I’m just really happy with today. At the same time, I’m a little sad – because it’s the last time I’ll ever enter this circuit in qualifying trim. I don’t mind if it rains tomorrow – I can’t influence the weather!
Vettel, who will retire in December, said: “Laps like this make me sad because I have left F1.”
“But I think wet conditions would probably be a little better for us. Still, we had a strong day today and I think we can make a difference by managing the tires regardless of the weather.
“Runs like that make me sad because I left F1.”
Elsewhere, championship favorite Max Verstappen took pole position ahead of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz and will seal the title on Sunday with a win and fastest lap.