Sebastian Vettel indicated that he will wait and see what the future holds after he was asked if he was considering making a Formula 1 return in a professional capacity.
Four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel claimed that he recently met the Formula 1 CEO and president Stefano Domenicali as the German had some ideas regarding the future of the sport.
This weekend, Vettel will race on the renowned Goodwood hill in two cars from his personal collection: Ayrton Senna’s 1993 McLaren MP4/8 and Nigel Mansell’s championship-winning Williams FW14B.
Additionally, as part of Vettel’s continuous campaign to raise awareness of the effects on motorsport and the environment, both cars have been modified to run on synthetic fuels.
Even before he retired from racing, he was outspoken about this issue, and he did not rule out transitioning to an official role at the FIA or F1 to carry on this cause.
Before ending his career at the 2022 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Vettel raced his final F1 race with Aston Martin last season.
The German has since been spending time with his family, but it seems that he is finally prepared for the F1 action once more.
Despite having a “good meeting” with Domenicali, it’s said that Vettel is eager to be part of the future of Formula 1, however he hasn’t yet been offered a job.
“We’ll see but I have some ideas,” he replied when asked of a possible role within F1 or the FIA. “I’ve been to Monaco earlier this year. I had a very good meeting with Stefano.”
The German highlighted the most recent British Grand Prix as an example of how many other activities that are “directly polluting” the environment along with cars.
The British Grand Prix attracted close to 500,000 spectators, making the event a little damaging to the environment as a whole.
“Other than obviously the cars directly polluting, F1 has a huge responsibility because it’s a very big event.
“A lot of people attend, I think you had around 500,000 people in the British Grand Prix last weekend. So there’s a lot more to it than just the cars but obviously the cars, everybody sees them.”
Vettel appears to be very motivated to contribute to F1’s efforts to move towards a sustainable future and understands the significance of the championship moving in the “right direction.”
“It’s important that it’s headed in the right direction. But I’m talking [with F1] and I have some ideas.
“Obviously, we’ll see what the future brings.”
As the new power unit regulations are set to be implemented in 2026, Formula 1 will make the switch to renewable fuels and Vettel has emphasized the significance of the championship aiming to become more environmentally friendly and sustainable.
For a man of Vettel’s experience, it came as no surprise to learn that many employment offers have been knocking on his door ever since he left Formula One in 2022, but for now, he still prefers to spend as much time as possible with his children.
“There’s lots of interest from different angles,” the four-time World Champion added. “But I set myself the goal last year that I want to be free and I say no to a lot of things in the first place.
“Because I want to get to know this version of myself, that doesn’t have let’s say a fixed schedule and is able to look into different things and get inspired.
“That’s still the journey I’m on. I’m spending a lot of time with my kids as well. We’ve done a bit of travelling as well in the van so I do enjoy that.
“But certainly I also know that I will not be living the life of my kids, it’s not going to be my main task.”
