Sebastian Vettel hung up his helmet at the end of the 2022 F1 season, but retirement hasn’t dulled the racing fire as he confesses to occasionally “flirting” with the idea of returning to F1.
After a glittering Formula 1 career that saw him claim four world titles, Vettel opted for the peace and simple pleasures of family life.
But even while spending lazy mornings with his children, the 53-time Grand Prix winner kept tabs on the racing world and more recently on events of late in F1.
When news swirled of a vacancy at Mercedes following Lewis Hamilton’s move to Ferrari, the media, ever-hungry for a comeback narrative, was quick to cast Vettel in the role of the prodigal son.
The German driver’s Le Mans hypercar test this week in Spain with Porsche reignited a flicker within him. But the whispers of F1 persist.
"Of course you think about it and flirt with it,' Vettel told RTL.
But while there may have been a hint of a longing in his voice, it was quickly followed by a pang of guilt.
"Sometimes it’s the case that [one of my children] says: 'Dad, don’t do that, then you’ll be gone so much.
"I really enjoyed the last year-and-a-half and also really enjoyed the time with the children, hopefully, the children did too.”
"Maybe the mood will change again, but things are still going very well at the moment.”
Vettel isn’t naive. He knows that a grueling 24-race F1 calendar would demand immense sacrifice.
The 36-year-old craved the competition, the strategy, the rush of pushing a car to its limits. But how could he reasonably reconcile that with his new-found family life?
“There are also 24 races and beyond that, I know from my time how I would like to structure my job if I decided to do it.
"I don't think it's objectionable that there are other interests in my life. Not just people and relationships, but also other things that interest and motivate me."
Pushed on whether there had been any communication between himself and Mercedes, Vettel admitted to talking lately to team boss Toto Wolff.
"We spoke on the phone,” he said. "Of course, we also talked about the fact that a lot is happening at Mercedes, but not specifically about the fact that I could take the [seat]."
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