The four times F1 champion Sebastian Vettel declared in July of this year that he would conclude his 16-year successful career at the last race in Abu Dhabi. He set numerous records during his journey, and now it appears that his interest is shifting to other racing divisions. In the midst of all of this, his former teammate claimed that the German may have opted to retire a little bit early.

A few last-minute changes to the AMR22 may have given Vettel a chance to provide his fans with some on-track highlights in his last races. With that, Mark Webber, Sebastian Vettel’s former teammate with whom he had a tense relationship, praised the German driver highly and speculated that the four-time champion may have decided to end his career soon.

As Quoted by GP fans the ex-Red Bull driver said, “He got the timing bang on, I think – maybe a sneak early. He still drives very, very well. I told him, ‘I think that you got this a bit early’, so we’ve had a bit of a laugh about that. But I’m stoked he’s in one piece, he’s had a great career.”

“He was a juggernaut obviously in the early days and, on his day [more recently], he could still do some special stuff. [He’s a] four-time world champion, [which is] not to be sneezed at, and he’ll be missed.”

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The fan favorite may have said goodbye to Formula One, but an F1 champion believes the German will return.

1996 F1 champion believes Sebastian Vettel will return to Formula 1

According to Damon Hill, Sebastian Vettel may return to the sport in some manner after successfully concluding his F1 career within the points and earning numerous drivers of the day awards. Vettel had six situations where he assisted the team in gaining significant points, demonstrating that he is still competitive. And the 1996 world champion Damon Hill believes the German can still have an impact in Formula One.

Talking to F1 Nation Podcast, Hill said, “We haven’t seen the last of him. He’ll be back in Formula 1 in some capacity, because we’re interested in him. He has been a huge part of this sport, so he will be back to contribute in some way. But I think he probably needs a bit of space and perspective. That certainly was my experience, anyway.”

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As Vettel has left the F1 racetrack, how will the fans handle his absence the next year? But despite that, they can still catch a glimpse of the star at the Race of Champions.