Vettel open to F1 return but not chasing roles as retirement suits him

Sebastian Vettel has left the door open to a return to Formula 1 in some capacity, but the four-time world champion says he is not approaching teams or individuals and is content with life away from the paddock.

Speaking after the Azerbaijan Grand Prix at the Baku City Circuit — where Mercedes’ George Russell claimed victory ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar — Vettel said he continues to follow the sport closely while running a farm and focusing on his family.

“I’m always open for what comes around the corner in terms of maybe a role in the future, but I’m not actively pursuing it,” Vettel said. “I’m not speaking to teams or individuals and dropping my CV here and there, but following from the outside with great joy and pleasure.”

Vettel, who retired at the end of the 2022 season, said the themes that occupied his thinking during his final years as a driver remain front of mind. Sustainability and the sport’s long-term direction — particularly F1’s net-zero target for 2030 and the incoming 2026 technical regulations — are the areas he is watching most closely.

“I’m still very much involved in the sport. Obviously, I don’t have an active role at the moment, but very much following what’s going on and caring about the sport’s future,” he said. “Especially the 2030 goal or the new regulations, what might change.”

The German also hinted at ongoing projects, some visible at the track and others less so, that reflect his thinking about what might come next. “The topics that have been in my head the final years of my active career are still very much there and present — topics around sustainability, around the future, not just for myself, for my children, but for all of us and the future of the sport.”

Vettel won his four drivers’ championships with Red Bull between 2010 and 2013 before spells at Ferrari and Aston Martin. Since retiring, he has largely stayed out of the public eye, but his appearance at Baku and candid comments about a potential future role are likely to fuel speculation about where he might eventually land within the sport.