Fresh details shared from Sebastian Vettel’s emotional farewell F1 dinner

The four-time Formula 1 driver had announced his retirement at the conclusion of the 2022 season and the occasion was celebrated by the rare sight of every driver ignoring their differences to share a special moment.

Even the photo that emerged from the evening, shared by Lewis Hamilton, remains a heart-warming snapshot amid the intense rivalry between drivers.

“That was a hell of a dinner,” Pierre Gasly told Beyond the Grid podcast. 

“I remember that moment forever. It was the first time in five years we all got together. 

“That's probably one of the very few times you've seen the real side of people and drivers. 

“You’ve always got a closer relationship with certain drivers. 

“But it's almost like on that dinner, from the moment we closed the door, we all took our caps off our heads, and you just get whatever you see.

An unforgettable night pic.twitter.com/5NMeYWfm4j

— Lewis Hamilton (@LewisHamilton) November 17, 2022

“It can be Lewis, Sebastian, Daniel, everyone came up with all sorts of random stories, which I’m not going to tell here! 

“It was just hilarious and it was great to see. We’re all racing drivers, we all want to beat each other, you get a bit of banter, sometimes it goes slightly beyond the limits, but at the end of the day we’re all just normal people with a life which is quite extraordinary.

“I get on pretty well with pretty much all the drivers. But yeah, Lewis was great, Seb was great, Yuki made us laugh so much. 

“By the end of it, we all looked at each other and said ‘why didn't we do it earlier? Why did we wait five years to make that happen?’ So let’s just make sure that we get to do this again sooner than later. 

“You meet a lot of people in Formula 1 but you can only really rely on and trust very few people, because we spend so much time on the road and we don't get much time at home.

“You don't have a big social circle of very strong, close friends. You don't have many of them when you're racing in Formula 1. 

“We probably realised we might have a few more friends than we think in that paddock. 

“It's a life which is difficult to explain and many times I feel quite uncomfortable about saying the experiences that I get in my life, because you'll sound arrogant.

“You sound like you're going to brag about certain things. I know it's not normal.

“Sometimes I have these moments where I think my life is a Hollywood movie.

“That's why I really like the chats that I can have with Charles [Leclerc], because I know with Charles we’re discussing about both of our lives and we won’t judge each other. 

“I know it’s almost like a happy place, a comfortable place where you can open up. He’ll understand, I’ll understand him. 

“You really want to stay grounded and enjoy every single moment, but I’ve learned there are things you can share and other things which you’ve got to be slightly more careful with the way you present them.”

We can safely say that the 20 F1 drivers haven’t all sat down to dinner again since Vettel’s exit from the sport.

It remains somewhat of a one-off, a great memory for those in attendance and fitting way to see off a legend.