Vettel unmoved on decision to stay retired from F1
Sebastian Vettel has reiterated that he is no closer to making a decision about a possible return to Formula 1.
Sebastian Vettel has reiterated that he is no closer to making a decision about a possible return to Formula 1.
The four-time world champion stepped away from the sport following the 2022 season, but he has not completely closed the door on a future comeback.
Now 36, Vettel remains engaged with F1 and the broader motorsport world, including conducting a thorough test recently in Porsche’s Le Mans-ready prototype.
He also made a notable appearance at Imola last weekend, where he drove his 1993 McLaren in tribute laps for Ayrton Senna and Roland Ratzenberger and led a group of current F1 drivers on a run to visit Senna’s memorial at Tamburello.
“Of course it was wonderful to be cheered on the track today,” Vettel remarked last Sunday at Imola, as reported by Germany’s motorsport-total.com. “A little bit of it was perhaps for me, but I was really here for Ayrton and Roland.”
Vettel has clarified that his presence at F1 events is not an attempt to signal to teams his readiness to return to competitive racing.
“Of course I’ve thought about returning and I knew beforehand that I would think about it,” he stated. “But in the end nothing has changed.”
“There are things that I miss and things that I don’t miss. It’s always a give and take, but Formula 1 is just very intense these days if you look at the calendar and the number of races there are.”
Since leaving F1, Vettel has shifted his focus to his young family, which includes three children and his wife Hanna. He maintains that his priorities remain unchanged.
“Of course there are things I miss, especially the competition,” the ex-Red Bull and Aston Martin racer said. “And things I don’t miss, so that hasn’t changed.”
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