Midway into the 2022 season, Sebastian Vettel announced that it would be his last ever campaign in the sport. Vettel’s departure left behind a huge hole, as he is one of the most beloved figures in F1. However, rumors about him returning to a managerial role started gathering substance over the last few months.
Vettel’s best stint in F1 was during his time with Red Bull, a team that helped him win four drivers’ championships. After leaving them in 2015, he drove for Ferrari and Aston Martin but when rumors about his return emerged, they were all linking him to a potential Red Bull return.
Helmut Marko, who is currently the chief advisor of Red Bull and heads its junior academy, will turn 80 years old later this week. Even though he is going strong, and is determined to lead the team to even more glory, there have been talks about Marko’s replacement when he decides to finally retire. Vettel for a while now, has been linked to taking over Marko’s role at Red Bull.
Helmut Marko talked to Sebastian Vettel about F1 return
In an interview with Blick, Marko confirmed that he is in contact with Vettel over a potential return. However, the four-time world champion is currently in a phase where he isn’t sure about what he wants to do.
Marko feels that Vettel does not want to return to the busy life of working in F1 and traveling all over the world throughout the year. On top of that, Marko revealed that Vettel won’t take over his job for the amount of money Red Bull is ready to offer him.
“My goals have shifted from winning races and Championships to seeing my children grow, passing on my values and being able to learn from them.”
– Sebastian Vettel. Four times an #F1 World Champion, forever a family man. 💚
Tap to watch Seb’s touching video. ⬇️
— Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant F1 Team (@AstonMartinF1) July 28, 2022
“We are still in contact,” he said. “Seb is still finding himself at the moment. And I don’t think he wants to travel to all the races now. Especially not for much less money!”
Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso sure about Vettel’s return as a driver
When Fernando Alonso left F1 at the end of the 2018 season, Vettel and Lewis Hamilton were sure about his return and it turned out to be true. The Spaniard returned to the sport in 2021 with Alpine.
In 2022 when Vettel announced that he will retire, Alonso hit back at the German with the exact same comments. Both Alonso and Hamilton were adamant that Vettel will return to the sport as a driver soon.
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Until now, Vettel hasn’t dropped any hints about wanting to return as a driver. However, Vettel did admit that he missed being around the sport, and that it felt weird watching it on TV at home.
