Sebastian Vettel makes a final call on F1 comeback

Former Red Bull and Ferrari star Sebastian Vettel has ruled out a return to Formula 1 as a driver.

Vettel earned himself a place among the all-time greats by winning four championships in a row with Red Bull from 2010-13, as he and his team mastered the blow diffuser system in the V8 era of F1. 

However, he was unable to replicate that success at Ferrari following his 2015 move, despite his ambition to follow in the footsteps of his childhood hero Michael Schumacher.

After six seasons with the Scuderia, Vettel joined Aston Martin for a two-year stint before retiring from F1 at the end of 2022, aged 35.

Since stepping away, the German has largely remained out of the spotlight, instead focusing on spending more time with his family.

Now 38, Vettel remains younger than some of his former peers still on the grid, including former world champions Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton, and is the same age as Nico Hulkenberg, who scored his maiden F1 podium at Silverstone earlier this month.

Sebastian Vettel closes door on F1 comeback

Yet Vettel insists he has no interest in making a comeback, pointing to the emergence of a new generation of talent.

"Formula 1 is over,” he told Auto Motor und Sport. “At some point, the time is ripe to leave the field to others. You can see that especially with the rookies. I think it's good that a whole group of drivers has been replaced.

“This isn't a vote against the old drivers, but rather for the young drivers. I didn't care in the past which of the established drivers was no longer racing. The main thing is that I get to drive."

While Vettel may not be interested in returning as a driver, he has previously expressed openness to taking on a managerial role at Red Bull, after long-time advisor Helmut Marko named him as a potential successor.

Such a role would likely involve Vettel running Red Bull’s young driver programme and guiding emerging talent into F1.

Vettel also hasn’t ruled out a return to racing entirely, revealing he is considering a move to the World Endurance Championship, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans, in 2026.

He drove a factory Porsche 963 LMDh prototype at Aragon at the start of 2025, but that test outing has yet to lead to a race seat.