In the last few months things have gotten a little louder around Sebastian Vettel. The four-time Formula 1 world champion was not only more present in public than in the first year after his retirement, but was even occasionally associated with a comeback.
Rumors that were fueled by the fact that the Heppenheimer never gave a clear rejection, but mostly only gave vague answers on the topic. But it became clear for the first time at the F1 weekend in Imola.
Sebastian Vettel after Senna run: Don’t plan an F1 comeback
He won’t be making a comeback in the foreseeable future. Vettel made this clear at the GP in Imola. A few minutes earlier, the four-time champion had completed a show run with Sena’s McLaren from the 1993 Formula 1 season in memory of Roland Ratzenberger and Ayrton Senna.
When asked about a possible return, he said clearly: “I’m not planning on it at the moment. There are of course many things in this sport that I miss and it was a difficult decision. But I’m happy with it,” said Vettel.
“I don’t wake up in the morning and miss those moments on the podium when people shout your name. I think I look at my life realistically and try new challenges,” he made it clear. Vettel confirmed that – as expected in his opinion – he had thought about a possible comeback in the two years since his retirement, but had always come to the same conclusion: “Nothing has changed. I’m still very happy with my decision. “
Vettel checks it off: I’m happy with my career
Even when discussing the successes in his career, the German left the impression as if he was with the Completed Formula 1. “I think I’ve been very privileged to have had the career that I’ve had, to have been able to live this life and have this support,” he said.
One argument for why he is ruling out a comeback at the moment is the size of the Formula 1 racing calendar. “Formula 1 is very intense these days. If you just look at the calendar and the number of races…” explained the 36-year-old. However, he also noted that this problem is probably less important for the driver than for the team’s engineers, mechanics and other employees.
No start at Le Mans in 2024 either: Sebastian Vettel not on the starting list
Vettel ended his Formula 1 career after the 2022 season and has not driven any races since then. In March, however, the four-time world champion got back into a racing car and tested a Porsche 963 from the WEC World Endurance Championship, which sparked rumors of an imminent return to the cockpit under racing conditions – for example at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
However, the name of the first Red Bull champion was not included in the starting list for the race on the Sarthe. Instead of Vettel, the driver line-up of the number 4 prototype, which was only used at Le Mans, included old friends of the brand from Stuttgart. These are Mathieu Jaminet, Nick Tandy and ex-F1 driver Felipe Nasr.