Sebastian Vettel quashed any rumours of a possible return to Red Bull by stating that he hasn’t spoken to his previous team in a long time.
Vettel’s best years were spent at Red Bull, when he won four Drivers’ Championships in a row between 2010 and 2013, as well as all four Constructors’ Championships.
In 2015, Vettel joined Ferrari, where he won plenty of races but fell short of the championship that both the driver and the team desired.
Vettel has now joined Aston Martin, although his second season with the Silverstone outfit has not begun off well. With a P8 at Imola in the uninspiring AMR22, Vettel has now at least secured his first points of the season.
With the four-time champion in a car that is nowhere near podium contention, let alone fighting for victories or titles, there are doubts over whether Vettel will stay with the team beyond 2023. Could he, however, advance by taking a few steps back?
Vettel was informed that there had been speculation of him returning to Red Bull, with Sergio Perez’s contract expiring in 2022.
Vettel was reportedly approached by team principal Christian Horner initially, but he quickly shut down the conversation. So, if Red Bull isn’t an option, is it possible that Vettel will retire from Formula One at the conclusion of the season?
He also confesses that his plans beyond 2022 are still up in the air, and they are heavily reliant on Aston Martin’s performance and trajectory.
“I haven’t spoken to Christian in ages. It’s not true,” he confirmed. “I am still active, my contract runs until the end of the year. A decision has not been made yet,” he told Bild.
“It depends on how strong the car is, how the team develops and how the races go. But I don’t need to lie… my future is a topic that is coming up and one that I am dealing with.”
“The truth is I have a lot of ideas, I talk to a lot of people and I’m easily inspired but I’m not putting any pressure on myself to create the perfect follow-up career tomorrow.”
“I don’t want to raise any expectations of finding the perfect thing.”
“I have found something in Formula 1 that I am very good at. Something where I can compete with the best in the world. What comes after that, only time will tell.”
“I am currently fulfilling my task. Two years ago I said ‘I’m going for another two years’ but I don’t think about life after that every day now.”
