Sebastian Vettel gives fresh update on F1 comeback after talks ‘never got anywhere’ | F1 | Sport

Sebastian Vettel is uncertain about his chances of an F1 return, revealing that while he had conversations with Helmut Marko about a managerial role within the Red Bull squad, talks ‘never gained any traction’.

The 38-year-old retired from F1 at the end of the 2022 season and has only been spotted in the paddock a handful of times since, most recently at last weekend’s Brazilian Grand Prix. He was also fleetingly linked with a 24 Hours of Le Mans campaign with Porsche, but this didn’t come to fruition.

Vettel has also been linked with a return to Red Bull, with whom he won all four of his Drivers’ Championship titles. The German racing icon has been tipped as a successor for Marko, who, at 82, is nearing retirement after decades in the F1 paddock.

“I don’t know,” he told Sky Sports in Brazil when asked about a return to F1. “I read there was a lot of talk about it and so on. I did speak with Helmut a little bit, but it never got anywhere, never gained any traction.

“I think, for me, I am fairly happy where I am in life right now. I love F1. In the beginning, I thought I’m not sure whether I want to keep watching because I need to get a distance. I watch the races and follow it because I love the sport.

“I know the guys as well, so I am still close in that way, and if I don’t know if the right opportunity, position, perspective, whatever turns out, maybe there’s a role that I could be happy to step up to, but time will tell.”

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Vettel understands that, if he one day replaces Marko within the Red Bull leadership structure, he will have a challenging task ahead of him. The Austrian advisor has played a central role in deciding the team’s driver line-ups and was heavily involved in bringing both Vettel and Max Verstappen into the organisation.

“I don’t think he’s replaceable, let’s put it that way,” said Vettel earlier this year. “He’s quite a character and has made a very big contribution to what the whole team has achieved over the years since 2005.

“And I don’t think the goal is to have someone come in who simply replaces him. But maybe, whoever it is, it would be nice if the work he’s put in is carried on. There’s a lot that can still be learned from him, and the role will inevitably be filled differently.”