No one will remember me: Vettel

Despite being a four-time Formula One world champion, retiring German driver Sebastian Vettel believes he will quickly be forgotten, reported dpa.

The 35-year-old, who won his four titles with Red Bull from 2010-13 but has struggled in subsequent spells at Ferrari and Aston Martin, quits the sport at the end of the season.

"There will probably come a point when no one will remember me. Nothing lasts forever," he said in an Aston Msrtin team release on Wednesday.

"People can decide if they want to remember me, but I wouldn't be offended if they don't. It's not important to me how I'm remembered."

While fellow German Michael Schumacher and Briton Lewis Hamilton garnered legions of fans as they racked up a record seven titles, Vettel has spent most of the last few years fighting against F1 in his quest for the sport to be greener and more politically aware.

The throngs of orange-clad supporters who follow current double Dutch world champion Max Verstappen contrast markedly with Vettel's quieter followers during his heyday, but he doesn't care.

"I always try to succeed – sometimes I don't succeed – but, above all else, I always try to treat people with respect and be nice. If that's what people remember about me then that will make me happy," he said before summing up the last two years.

"Finishing 10th doesn't give me a buzz because I know how it feels to finish first. If you've never finished first, the first time you finish 10th you get a real buzz. But I'm happy that I don't get a buzz from finishing 10th."