Vettel Reveals He Didn't Want to Race After Hubert's Fatal Spa Crash

Sebastian Vettel has revealed that Anthoine Hubert's fatal crash at Spa in 2019 was the only time he seriously considered not racing. In a New York Times column, the four-time champion said he told his wife he would not start the Belgian Grand Prix, explaining how the tragedy reshaped his view of the sport.

Why it matters:

Hubert's death at 22 sent shockwaves through the paddock, but Vettel's candor offers a rare glimpse into the psychological toll of a fatal accident on fellow drivers. His reflections highlight that even elite racers wrestle with grief, forcing a reckoning with the human cost of chasing speed.

The details:

• Vettel wrote that he slept poorly after the accident and told his wife Hanna he did not want to race. The 32-year-old ultimately started and finished fourth as Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc claimed his maiden win.
• Altered perception: The German said he began to "see" the speeds rather than merely feel them, experiencing a responsibility he had not known before.
• Post-retirement clarity: Vettel noted he only fully understood after retiring how profoundly that weekend had changed his relationship with racing.
• A philosophical shift: He argued speed and innovation "only matter if they move us in the right direction," signaling a deeper moral reckoning with the sport's risks.

Between the lines:

Vettel's confession positions Hubert's death as an inflection point beyond mere competition. By questioning whether progress moves us in the "right direction," he voices an unease rarely aired by champions. The admission is a poignant reminder that drivers carry the weight of tragedy long after the flags fall.