Red Bull Hatches Sebastian Vettel Masterplan While F1 Champ Can “Plant a Few Trees”

As we enter 2023, F1 will feel a huge void of the shape of Sebastian Vettel. After a momentous career, Vettel has hung up his helmet and the sport is going to miss him. It seems, though, that his former team Red Bull is not over their former champion driver. Apparently, the team is looking to get Sebastian back to the sport in a managerial capacity.

Vettel was an integral part of the Red Bull system until 2014. Likewise, RBR always has maintained good relations with all of its former drivers including Seb. Thus, Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko hopes that they can bring Vettel back into the team’s fold.

As per Sky Sports Germany, Marko revealed how they have had conversations about a top management role for the 4-time champion. He stated, “We had a conversation and if he [Sebastian Vettel] could get a top management position, that would appeal to him. That became clear during the conversation.” [translated via Google]

Helmut also addressed how Red Bull’s sister team Alpha Tauri might be a good prospect for Vettel’s return. He said, “He would certainly have the potential and the personality for it [management role at Alpha Tauri], but for now we’ll let him plant a few trees.”

Marko and Red Bull might be hatching this masterplan for Seb’s return to F1, though the German driver wishes to spend some time with his family before considering such prospects.

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Vettel has already planned several environmental and climate change initiatives he will be indulging in post-retirement. While he had talks with Marko and Red Bull for a management position in Abu Dhabi, this return possibility looks unlikely and distant for now.

Is a comeback as a driver completely out of the question for Sebastian Vettel?

Sebastian Vettel had not been projecting the best of trajectories in the last few years of his career. The fact that he had not won a championship in nine years might have been a major factor in his retirement decision. Though till this season, he had always maintained that he wished to fight for wins at the front.

Since this was not happening since his last win in 2019, Vettel has decided to hang up his racing boots for good. Besides his willingness for a non-driver role, the 4-time champion has hinted at a guest exhibition drive at Suzuka. So, Vettel driving in Japan in the upcoming years might be the only F1 driving action we get from him. Unless he gets a highly lucrative winning team seat, there is little possibility Sebastian comes back to F1 as a driver.

His former rivals and mates Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton still hope that Seb will make a return in the next few years. Even Alonso had a temporary retirement in 2018 and returned to the sport in 2021. So, the Spaniard is sure that Vettel will follow suit in 2 or 3 years.

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Regardless, it is up to Sebastian Vettel to take the call on whether to return to the sport. The coming years will unfold his willingness surely. It remains to be seen if Vettel does consider coming back, will it be as a driver or in a management role?