Sebastian Vettel was touted as an option for both Red Bull and Mercedes earlier this year, but the four-time world champion put an emphatic end to speculation about his F1 future, ruling out a return to the series that he left back in 2022.
Vettel’s retirement announcement rocked the F1 community ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix in 2022, with Aston Martin bringing in Fernando Alonso to replace the legendary German racer. Since then, he has been largely absent from the paddock, focusing instead on his climate activism.
The 37-year-old made appearances in Imola and Brazil this year to honour the 30th anniversary of his hero, Ayrton Senna’s passing, but Vettel has now ruled out a full-time return to F1 racing, despite refusing to close the door completely after making his initial decision two years ago.
“I’m not returning to F1,” he stated during an interview with RTL. “But Le Mans could be an option.” Vettel joins an illustrious list of F1 champions looking to compete at the legendary race around the Circuit de la Sarthe.
Both Max Verstappen and Alonso have teased tilts at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the not-so-distant future, and Vettel’s connections are even stronger, having worked on Porsche’s entry to the 2024 race in a testing capacity.
However, Vettel has other commitments taking up his spare time too. “I am actually going to school,” he revealed. “I am doing an apprenticeship in agriculture.”
Asked if farming would be his next job, he replied: “Not quite. It is basically a condensed form of it. After that, I can run my own business. This area fascinates me. I find it extremely exciting when it comes to the future of agriculture.”
Vettel’s chances of competing at the 2025 edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans rest on a reunion with Porsche, who will be running three of their 963 machines. Former F1 star Felipe Nasr is already confirmed for the third and final entry, as is Nick Tandy, but one spot is free.
“We are short of one driver, that is mathematically true,” said Porsche LMDh director Urs Kuratle in an interview with Sportscar365.com. “We have to think about it, obviously, when we came up with that decision. That’s something we’re evaluating but there’s no name there.
“There’s nothing set yet. It’s not decided, but obviously, we have it in our mind.” Asked if Vettel is in contention, he added: “Sebastian and Porsche AG, they have a friendly relationship. They talk to each other. I cannot rule it out at the moment but it’s not set.”
