What four-time Formula 1 world champion Sebastian Vettel “might do in the future” in motorsport and why it could be racing
On ZDF’s Aktuelles Sportstudio, Sebastian Vettel once again ruled out a Formula 1 comeback. Vettel said he would not be returning “as a driver.” “That time is over. As a driver, you have to recognize that at some point.” Vettel had already emphasized this repeatedly.
However, Vettel is leaving open the possibility of a Formula 1 return in a “different role” – “depending on what the role entails,” according to the four-time world champion.
On the August 9, 2025, broadcast, he was asked about comments made by Red Bull sporting director Helmut Marko, who recently mentioned Vettel as a potential successor.
Now Vettel has said he will not directly succeed Marko: “Dr. Marko has contributed a great deal to this role and only he can fill it.”
Marko himself later revised his own statement, telling oe24 that Vettel as his successor at Red Bull “is not an option and will not be an option.”
What Sebastian Vettel can imagine
A return to Formula 1 is still possible for Vettel. He could “perhaps take on one or two roles in the future,” said Vettel, without going into specifics. That is “absolutely conceivable” for him.
However, Vettel did not specify a timeframe for a possible return to Formula 1: “At the moment, I’m quite happy with my tasks and have enough to do. It’s a lot of fun with the kids, and at home I have to drive the tractor,” Vettel explained with a laugh.
A possible comeback in sports car racing is therefore not on the cards at the moment. Although Vettel has already completed test drives for Porsche, “it hasn’t worked out so far,” said Vettel. But the 38-year-old is not putting himself under any pressure: “I think I still have a bit of time.”
Sebastian Vettel in Formula 1
Vettel ended his Formula 1 driving career at the end of 2022.
He won four consecutive world championships with Red Bull from 2010 to 2013 and finished runner-up in the world championship in 2017 and 2018 with Ferrari.
With his last Formula 1 team, Aston Martin, he achieved a respectable second place in Baku in 2021 – Aston Martin’s first podium finish in Formula 1.