How Dietrich Mateschitz Helped to Shape F1 Great Sebastian Vettel

• Sebastian Vettel, 35, is retiring after the current Formula 1 season.

• Vettel won four championships from 2010-2013 with Red Bull under the leadership of team owner and Red Bull c0-founder Dietrich Mateschitz.

• Mateschitz died last week at the age of 78.

Sebastian Vettel had to know the question was coming.

After three consecutive strong races, including a seventh-place finish where he led two laps last week at the Formula 1 U.S. Grand Prix at Austin, the current Aston Martin F1 driver was asked if there was any chance he was re-thinking his decision to retire from the sport at the end of the current campaign.

The ensuing grin spoke volumes.

"It's funny you say that," said Vettel, during media availability on Thursday in Mexico City ahead of this Sunday's F1 Mexican Grand Prix. "I don't know if it's a thing in Formula 1 or a general thing in our lives nowadays that we have to answer that question. No, I thought about this decision long and hard and from a lot of angles.

"I don't know if I find it's sad that we tend to swing so much. I see the benefits of having emotions running high and low, rather than just being flat. But I think the judging in general is a bit too quick. We create a hype and too quick that we create—I don't want to say disappointment because of my situation now the last races versus the mid part of the season. It's more of a general thing."

In other words, are all too often a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately proposition.

"I obviously enjoyed the last two races, the last couple of races, more than I did maybe some in the mid part of the season, but they have no impact on the decision," he said. "If anything it is a great reminder of why I love this sport so much, why I love racing so much."

To say the four-time World Champion is ending his incredible career on a high note is not exactly true. After all, Vettel has been to the top of the mountain four times as champion from 2010 to 2013 with Red Bull. His 53 career F1 wins rank third behind only the great Lewis Hamilton (103) and Michael Schumacher (91).