“I Will Drive Again”: Sebastian Vettel Rids ‘Hurtful’ Retirement to Begin Racing Comeback

Sebastian Vettel once said, “Everyone is a Ferrari fan. Even if they say they’re not, they are Ferrari fans.” The thing is, as much as Ferrari is a team universally loved—as per Vettel—a more apt version of this would be: “Everyone is a Sebastian Vettel fan. Even if they say they’re not, they are Sebastian Vettel fans.” The Japanese GP all but proved the fact. When he returned to Suzuka, he had one thing in mind. Bring the grid together to spread the word about biodiversity. There’s no doubt he achieved his goal, but could he have left with the impression that he could get the best of both worlds—biodiversity and racing?

If Vettel returning to the F1 paddock didn’t create buzz enough, his bee hotels did. Considering he’s always been a fan-favorite, as soon as he made it out on track, the crowd roared with chants of “Come back, Seb!” Oh, wouldn’t we all love that? Turns out, there might be a chance the German legend could give everyone what they want.

Is a comeback in the cards for Sebastian Vettel?

As much as Vettel would’ve wanted to start his campaign for biodiversity awareness in Germany, Suzuka was just as good an option. Why? It’s his favorite track, and the fans in Japan adore him. But as he stood on the sidelines, watching cars go around the track, he couldn’t help but feel a little left out. In an interview, he said, “It hurts to be on the sidelines and watch these cars go by. I knew it would be difficult to be here, but here it is extremely difficult. I mean, this was my favorite track.” When asked by Sky Sports if he would make a racing return, he gave every last F1 fan hope.

“I think it’s something that if you asked all of them (Niki Lauda, Nigel Mansell, Kimi Raikkonen), probably some of them would have said, ‘No.’ Some of them, ‘I don’t know.’ But in the end, all of them came back, so I can’t exclude it. It will depend on the challenge.” Turns out, he might just have his next challenge offered to him on a platter. Seeing Seb back on the grid, no one could help but ask him about a possible comeback. The closest he got to pointing to one was in an interview with Auto Motor und Sport (AMuS).

As per a tweet by @f1_naija, “Sebastian Vettel receives a “concrete” offer for a 2024 racing return in the World Endurance Championship with Jota. The former F1 champ is considering the proposal, possibly joining an all-star lineup.” The all-star lineup? Robert Kubica and Jenson Button. When AMuS prodded him about this in Suzuka, Vettel said, “Nothing has been signed or decided yet. But I have the matter in the back of my mind. I still have time to decide. If at some point I come to the conclusion that it doesn’t work without racing, then I will drive again.”

Read More: “Come Back” Chants Roar as Sebastian Vettel Regrets ‘Hurtful’ Retirement

As the F1 community holds its breath for Vettel’s next move—be it racing or not—one of his best friends feels the four-time champion is doing what he’s meant to do.

Lewis Hamilton is all for what Sebastian Vettel is doing

Over the years, it’s become well-known that Lewis Hamilton is just as inclined to do good for the environment as he is to F1. He’s used his global influence to advocate climate change prevention. So, seeing one of his best mates do the same was heartening for him. He couldn’t help but speak about Vettel’s efforts during the Japanese GP.

In an interview on Media Day, Hamilton said, “I think it is great to have Seb back this weekend. He sat down and told all the drivers about his plans. It is great he has found his purpose, and in the history of the sport, I don’t know any other driver who has been so outspoken and shown such passion for the world outside the [F1] one we live in. I hope he inspires the rest of the drivers to do something, to spread love, spread compassion, raise awareness. There are millions of problems we need to address but biodiversity, it’s great to raise awareness of how important it is.”

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Do you think Sebastian Vettel will make a racing comeback in 2024? Or is doing good for the environment his only goal for a while?