Vettel does not rule out a move to rally racing

In 2023, the grid will evolve without Sebastian Vettel, a first since 2007, he who left a mark, with his four titles obtained with Red Bull, on the history of the premier category of auto racing.

A career that he then pursued with the reds of Maranello, where he was twice vice-champion without being able to obtain the Holy Grail, and from which he did not emerge unscathed when he left for Aston Martin in late 2020. Unfortunately, this last team will not be able to provide the German driver with a sufficiently competitive car to hope to complete his trophy collection, except for a single and final podium in his career, achieved at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in 2021.

In recent years, Vettel has mainly been in the spotlight for causes that are close to his heart, such as supporting the environment and social justice, before announcing his retirement last year.

Now, far from Formula 1, it remains nevertheless difficult to imagine the young retiree not getting back behind the wheel, and yet: “I think naturally, you look at other things. I don’t know yet, that’s the answer,” explains the four-time world champion.

I think I am looking forward to the idea of doing nothing, at first, and then I see what will make me happy. I mean, there are also many other things in my mind. Other interests and ideas besides running », he who wished to spend more time with his family.

« Obviously, I’ve been doing this for so long and it’s at the heart of my life. So, it’s going to be difficult to say that I won’t miss it, but to what extent and if, afterwards, I start looking at something else, we’ll see. »

Retirement and after?

Many drivers, after a career in F1, have chosen to move on to other areas, such as the WEC with the 24 Hours of Le Mans, or to Indycar, notably the Indianapolis 500 race.

For Sebastian Vettel, it may be like his former teammate and friend, Kimi Räikkönen, a stint in rallying.

“I have always loved, for a reason I ignore, rally,” he says. “But I see that it’s a big challenge because it’s so different from what we do, let’s say, in classic circuit races. So I don’t know. We’ll see.”

While the Monte-Carlo Rally starts today, Vettel added that he was looking forward to being surprised by life after Formula 1.

« I see retirement as an opportunity to learn a lot about myself and to put myself in a position I have never been in before and that I am not comfortable with, because I think the truth is that after so many years in this job, I don’t want to say that it’s boring, because that would be arrogant, but I would say that it’s a lot of routine and a lot of experiences. »

Many things no longer surprise you. So I am looking forward to being surprised and, as I said, to learn about myself, to spend more time with my children and my family, to learn with them, which will obviously be a different challenge for me and at a different pace.

« But yes, many things and giving more space to things for which I naturally didn’t have time. So yes, we’ll see. It’s not like I have a calendar and I would say in March, it’s going to happen, and in April or May, it’s going to happen. I think I’m looking forward to not having a calendar and plans and then, of course, at some point, I have to find a lot of things to occupy myself because I’m a busy bee, very busy with a mind that needs to be occupied. »

Before finding him again in rally, who knows, in the team of Cyril Abiteboul recently appointed director of Hyundai Motorsport in WRC, the German will participate in the Race Of Champions 2023 at the end of January in Sweden on the 28th and 29th.