Adrian Newey, one of the most influential figures in Formula 1, has cast doubt on the speculation surrounding Sebastian Vettel’s return to the sport.
Newey, speaking on the High Performance podcast hosted by Jake Humphrey, expressed his belief that Vettel is content with his post-racing life. He explained:
“Sebastian, he rang up the other day. He’s travelling through Norway with his motorhome.
“I can’t see that. He’s enjoying his life. He’s moved on and doing different things. Fair play to him.”
Andrew Ferraro/Getty Images for Aston Martin
Sebastian Vettel, a four-time world champion, retired from Formula 1 at the end of the 2022 season after three lackluster years. Despite his departure from the sport, rumors about a possible return have been relentless. These speculations have linked him notably to teams like Mercedes and Red Bull, and more recently, Audi.
With Audi preparing to take over Sauber in the 2026 Formula 1 season, there has been significant chatter about Vettel potentially joining them, especially as Sauber has yet to confirm a partner for Nico Hulkenberg next year. Mattia Binotto, Audi’s head, commented on these rumors, saying:
“Vettel? Knowing him, you appreciate his greatness as a person even before as a driver.”
In April, amidst a swirl of rumors about a possible return to Mercedes, Vettel himself responded to questions about a comeback. He explained during an interview with Sky Sports:
“Well, potentially I am because I haven’t got a drive, but they question is, am I looking for one? I think it depends on the package.
“I retired from Formula 1 not to come back, but I also did say that you never know. So I think it still stands.
“Obviously, there’s things that I miss, which is mostly the competition. And things that I don’t miss, so that hasn’t changed. Obviously, life is very different if you’re not involved and I do enjoy that still.
“You never know where life is taking you, so maybe it takes me back behind the wheel, maybe it doesn’t.”
He continued:
“I’ve had conversations with him (Wolff), not really about the seat. We did speak about the whole situation in short as well.
“But I did speak to others as well because I’m still keeping in touch every now and then. I have some projects and ideas together with F1. We’ll see if they will turn out or not.
“So I am staying in touch. I don’t know. It has to be a couple more phone calls and conversations, I guess, to really find out a little bit more. But for sure it’s one of the best seats on the grid.
“Performance wise, Mercedes has a great track record, struggling a little bit in the last years, but then struggle and you’re still second and third in the constructors’ (championship), it’s not like you’re racing in no man’s land.”
