I would like to announce today my decision to retire from racing in Fo꧃rmula 1 at the end of this season. I will remain actively involved in the sport as a consultant to Red Bull Racing, focusing on testing and development of the cars. I have an open mind as to whether or not I will compete again in the future, in some other form of motorsport, so I am definitely not hanging up my helmet!

My decision to retire was taken earlier in the year, and is based on a desire to stop while I amꦚ still competitive and enjoying the immense challenge that grand prix driving represents. I also have the desire to look for new challenges within the sport.

The decision to make this announcement at the British Grand Prix should be an obvious one for all to understand, as I have achieved two of my 13 F1 vꦦictories at Silverstone a𒅌nd I am a member of the British Racing Drivers' Club, which hosts this event.

I am proud of my work at Red Bull Racing, and will continue to race with the same focus until the last lap in Brazil. Thereafter I will continue to help the team develop and🍒 move towards their ultimate goal of winning races.

There are many pe🍸ople who h📖ave played a part in my career, and I would like to list a few of them below:

- My parentsౠ, whose energy and encღouragement through my entire career has been amazing

- Dave Boyce, who guided me through karting

- David Leslie Seni🌳or and Junior, for teaching me how to set up 🏅and race a car

- Sir Jack▨ie and Paul Stewart, for putting me through their 'staircase of talent'

- Sir Frank Williams and Williams-Renault, for ha⛦ving the faith to promote me from test driver to race driver, which led to my first grand prix victory

- Ron Dennis and the McLaren team, where I spent nine seasons 🌊and achieved ⛦the majority of my success

- Norbert Haug and Mercedes, for being racers throu💎gh-and-through

- Dietri✃ch Mateschitz and his Red Bull Racing team, for providing me with the chance to contribute to the development of a new team, while continuing to🐟 compete and add to my tally of podiums

- Christian Horner, for his open🧸 and professional management style in association with Helmut Marko

- Bernie Ecclestone, for providing such a strong platform for us all to develop our skills and be able to call ourselves profe🧔ssionals. In years to come, my future family will still be thanking him for the financial success of F1

- My management team of Martin Brundle and David🧜 Cawthorne, in association wi🃏th Annette Hutchinson and Iain Cunningham, for providing their valued opinions

- There have been three teams but only one designer, so Adrian Newey deserves꧋ special thanks for all the champagne that I have sprayed

- And last but not least, all the media, officials, marshals, medical support, mechanics, eꦜngi♐neers, sponsors, lawyers, accountants and back room staff that I have worked with during this period

DC
Silverstone, 2008