"Not a firm no"

Vettel about to make a comeback? “That’s what I miss most”

Sebastian Vettel's return to Formula 1 is not off the table, as the German is leaving all options open. He misses living for the moment and the competition, says the 36-year-old. A comeback is not an issue at the moment, but it is too early to say what will happen next season.

"Maybe there will come a point when I say: 'Yes, I would like to come back'. When I get it sorted mentally so that it suddenly makes sense again. At the moment, however, I'm doing very well without driving Formula 1. There is no definite no, but there is no definite yes either," said Vettel in an interview with the NZZ. 

However, the 36-year-old from Heppenheim is taking a relaxed approach. After all, at his age he still has all the time in the world. Although the father of three is enjoying his new "decelerated" life, he misses racing: "It's a process, and it's probably still ongoing for me. Sometimes I miss the tension of the old world."

Is Vettel going to Mercedes?
Above all, he misses "living in the moment and the competition." Vettel emphasizes that he is in contact with Mercdes team boss Toto Wolff. And that fuels speculation further. After all, Mercedes is still looking for a driver for next year following Lewis Hamilton's surprising move. 

Toto Wolff has to think about the future of Mercedes.(Bild: APA/AFP/Andrej ISAKOVIC)

It is not yet clear where the journey will lead, as Wolff recently confirmed to "Sky": "We have to decide after three or four races: Do we go for youth, do we plan for the long term? Or do we go for experience and try to optimize in the short term and give the youth a few more years of experience? That's the decision."

Unconscious comments
The most likely option at the moment seems to be that Mercedes will opt for an experienced driver in the cockpit in the short term and build up the young Andrea Antonelli in his slipstream in the long term. Vettel is just as likely a candidate as Fernando Alonso. 

A comeback for the German therefore does not seem unrealistic. Four-time world champion Vettel ended his career in 2022 after a total of 299 races. Until then, he will be watching the races from afar: "Of course I'm still interested in the sport, even if I'm no longer that close to it. I watch with my wife and usually commentate unconsciously."