The organisers of the Brazilian Grand Prix have confirmed that Sebastian Vettel will make an appearance at the fan zone of the Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace this weekend. The four-time world champion hasn’t been spotted at an F1 event this season, making his return to the track a much-anticipated one.
Vettel called time on his legendary F1 career at the end of the 2022 season following a two-year stint with Aston Martin, and has since turned his attention to promoting charitable causes.
His rare forays back into the F1 paddock, such as in Japan in 2023, and at Imola last season, have been to promote biodiversity or celebrate the life and career of the late Ayrton Senna. He also travelled to Jeddah ahead of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix this year, hosting his #RACE4WOMEN karting event.
Vettel will now be present at Senna’s home race, the Brazilian GP, meeting fans and speaking to spectators in the fan zone at Interlagos. Whether or not he will make any wider appearances in the paddock remains to be seen.
While Vettel’s face has been largely absent from F1’s travelling circus since his retirement, the legendary German racer hasn’t ruled out a return in a management role. For one, Helmut Marko has already tipped the 38-year-old to be his successor at Red Bull.
“There have been a few headlines recently,” Vettel told ORF TV’s Sport am Sonntag podcast back in June. “I still get along great with Helmut, and we’re in contact regarding the topic. [Talks are] not yet that intensive or in-depth; it’s perhaps something that could play a role. In what form remains to be seen.”
Vettel would have big shoes to fill replacing Marko, who has been central to Red Bull’s driver development programme, bringing both the German and reigning world champion Max Verstappen into the fold after impressive junior careers.
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“He’s irreplaceable. Let’s just leave it at that,” Vettel continued. “His character alone… and he’s made a very, very significant contribution to what the entire team has achieved over the years since 2005.
“And perhaps it wouldn’t even be the goal to have someone replace him. He’s said a few times that he’s going to quit, but he’s still here. I hope he stays with us for a long time. But of course, at some point, things will inevitably move on, and he knows that.
“He’s a brutal realist and can assess things quite well. He’ll sense when the time is right. I have to admit, though, that I haven’t been that close in recent years. But I do think I know what he’s doing. And no matter what happens, there’s still a lot to learn from him.”
