Sebastian Vettel hints at Formula One return after disclosing Mercedes talks

Sebastian Vettel last raced for Aston Martin at the 2022 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Photo / Getty Images

Sebastian Vettel admits he has thought about a Formula One return as he “misses the competition”, adding he has been “talking to a lot of team principals” recently, including Mercedes’s Toto Wolff.

Vettel, the 36-year-old four-time world champion who left the sport at the end of 2022, was coy on whether he and Wolff had outright discussed the possibility of him replacing Ferrari-bound Lewis Hamilton next year, saying only that they had spoken about “other things”.

But the two are good friends and it would be a surprise if Wolff had not sounded out the German as one possible option.

The Austrian’s preferred candidate, by his own admission, would be Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, if the three-time world champion could be prised from Red Bull. Failing that, Mercedes junior driver Kimi Antonelli is a strong candidate should he impress in F2 this year. Other names in the frame include Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) and Carlos Sainz (Ferrari).

Vettel, who won his four drivers’ titles with Red Bull between 2010 and 2013 before spending six years at Ferrari and two with Aston Martin, appeared to have fallen out of love with the sport by the time he quit at the end of 2022. But the German told Sky News there were “bits of F1″ that he missed.

Pressed on which ‘bits’, Vettel explained: “Well, the thrill, the speed. I think the competition mostly, really.”

Vettel said that he still spoke to a lot of people in the paddock, including Wolff, although he said a drive was not the “main thought”.

“I am speaking to Toto. I don’t know if that qualifies as Mercedes, but about other things,” he said when asked about the vacant Mercedes seat.

“I’m talking to a lot of people because I know them, but not very specific. I mean, obviously it [a comeback] does cross my mind. I do think about it. But it’s not the main thought.

“I have three kids at home, it’s busy every day, so there’s a lot of other thoughts I have. There’s ideas that I have; events that I’m planning going forwards. So I did speak to a lot of other team principals as well, and not only about racing. There’s thoughts, but nothing concrete at the minute.”

Vettel has recently tested a Porsche sports car with a view to potentially racing in the Le Mans 24 hours. “Maybe, I don’t know yet,” he replied when asked if he could make his first appearance in the famous endurance race this year.

“I’ve been testing. I was curious. I wanted to see how it feels. It’s obviously a different discipline. It’s still racing, but it’s a different car, different discipline.

“I am [tempted] and I’m not. I am obviously also looking for lots of other things and there’s lots of other things that do interest me outside of racing.”