Max Verstappen & Leclerc lead tributes for retiring 4-time F1 champion Sebastian Vettel

Four-time F1 Drivers' Champion Sebastian Vettel is going to be the centre of attention at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix as he gets set for his final race. The German driver has raced against some of the very best during his glittering career and will undoubtedly go down as one of the best. As Vettel gets set for his final career race, two-time Drivers' Champion Max Verstappen and rising star Charles Leclerc have led the tributes for him.

Verstappen and Leclerc lead tributes for Sebastian Vettel

Sebastian Vettel is one of the most respected drivers on the F1 grid and the tributes from the other racers were clearly representative of the same. Reigning Drivers' Champion Max Verstappen paid a fantastic tribute to Vettel by not only crediting him for his staggering career, but also for how he is as an individual. "He’s had a career that a lot of people could only dream of, but at the end of the day, that’s not everything. I think as a person he’s very caring," said Verstappen.

"One thing I will always remember for the rest of my life [was] last year at Silverstone [when] I came back from the hospital [after clashing with Hamilton] to get to my motorhome and get all my stuff. He was there waiting for me when I got out of the car. He said, ‘How are you doing Max, are you okay?’, and that just shows how he is: a super nice, caring person who is not only there for performance but also means well," added the Dutchman.

Charles Leclerc, who was teammates with Vettel at Ferrari in 2019 and 2020, also echoed a similar tribute to Verstappen. "We’ve had our tense moments on track, but the respect off the track has never changed and he’s always been there for me whenever I had difficult times and that was very different to what I was used to with my previous teammates. In Formula 1, there’s inner competition inside the team, but he’s caring and trying to help me whenever I was going through more difficult times. He will definitely be missed," explained Leclerc.

Meanwhile, Daniel Ricciardo, who was Vettel's former teammate at Red Bull Racing, added, "As a person, I can speak so highly of him, also on a personal level. Some things that he’s done for me [I’m] just very appreciative of. I think he’s a very caring individual, cares about the sport overall, but cares about us drivers. We’re all competitors, for sure, but yeah, I think he’s definitely able to separate that and just look out for us, ultimately."