Just when you thought he would never return to the racing world, Sebastian Vettel is back. But this time, the 4-time F1 World Champion has traded his steering wheel for a cycle. The German legend retired from Formula 1 in 2022 to step back from the race tracks. But perhaps the need for speed led him to take part in a new sort of race under an alias.

Sebastian Vettel might have left F1 a couple of years ago, but his followers have been keen to know his future plans. The former Red Bull star has remained silent till now, but in a surprising turn of events, he has made a subtle re-entry into competitive racing by opting to participate in the Offroad Finnmark bike race.

Since Vettel is someone who can hardly go unrecognized, he decided to compete with his wife’s surname, ‘Prater’. Lo and behold, the undercover agent act did not last long for him. Espen Tangstad, a journalist for Altaposten, discovered who was the mystery biker going with the name ‘S. Prater’ soon enough. He later told the Norwegian outlet TV2, “We found out that he had taken his wife’s surname, so he went undercover. I understand that very well. He was left alone.”

Vettel did not just try to bypass public scrutiny by altering his name, but he also registered under a different country name to preserve his identity. This is the first time the 37-year-old made an appearance at a race since his retirement after the 2022 Abu Dhabi GP and he seemed quite skilled on the cycle as he covered 150 km in 8 hours and 55 minutes. But, what were the other measures that Vettel took to keep his identity undisclosed at the Norwegian race?

Sebastian Vettel switched his nationality for privacy’s sake

Thanks to his 53 Grand Prix victories and a racing style similar to Michael Schumacher, Vettel is one of Germany’s most prolific racers. But Seb seems to love his privacy very much. The veteran has refused to take part in public events since his F1 retirement. But perhaps he wanted to feel the rush once again without compromising his identity. So, he registered under Norway instead of Germany at the Offroad Finnmark.

Not only this, but a quick look at the results shows how Vettel tried to keep his name hidden from the fans. On the 44th place, there was Sebastian S. Prater who was born in 1987. The birth year does match, and so does the first name. But Seb took his wife’s surname Prater and added an ‘S’ to it too. Some would say he ended up giving birth to his alter-ego, Sebastian Prater, who is apparently a cyclist from Norway.

Even after carefully dealing with his alias, Vettel’s cover got blown when the Norwegian news outlet Altaposten revealed it. And then came several tributes from his fans who had been waiting eagerly to see him race again. However, after the race was over, Vettel did not wish to comment to the press.

What are your thoughts on Vettel’s love for privacy and his urge to get back to racing again? Share your opinions on Seb’s recent participation in a cycling race in Norway!