Sebastian Vettel has ruled out any possibility of making a comeback in Formula 1, saying his time in the sport, as a driver at least, “is over”.
The German, widely regarded as one of the best F1 drivers of his era, retired at the end of 2022, after clocking up 53 wins and four Drivers’ Championships.
Vettel spent his final two years at Aston Martin before deciding to hang up his helmet, turning his hand to social and environmental issues, making occasional visits to the F1 paddock.
Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko, with whom Vettel continues to have a good relationship, alleged that Vettel had enquired about replacing Sergio Perez at the Milton Keynes-based squad.
But Vettel, speaking to Auto Motor und Sport, delivered a definitive answer on the prospect of making a return.
“Formula 1 is over,” he said. “At some point, the time is ripe to leave the field to others.
“You can see that with the rookies. I think it’s good that a whole batch has now been replaced. This is not a vote against the old, but one for the young.
“I didn’t use to care back then which of the established drivers was no longer driving. The main thing was that I was allowed to drive.”
WEC a potential option for Vettel
Vettel’s name has been bandied around in other series, with a brief rumour linking him to Formula E in 2023, and most recently with WEC, having tested a Porsche 963 Hypercar in Spain.
The German did not rule out the possibility of moving into endurance racing in the future, remaining non-committal on whether the prospect of a less strenuous calendar would be appealing.
“In motorsport, it’s hard to say: I only drive half of the races,” he explained.
“The WEC would actually be a good fit with its eight races, which are also staggered differently than Formula 1.
“It’s always a question of how intensively you want to do something.
“For me, it has always been the case that I want to do it right when I get involved in something. Just a little bit of driving is not for me.”
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