Sebastian Vettel is now 38 years old. Despite no longer racing in Formula 1, he remains a youthful presence in both attitude and energy. Since officially retiring from Formula One at the end of the 2022 season, he has stayed active, particularly in areas he cares deeply about, such as environmental sustainability, biofuels, and social inclusion. Sebastian Vettel is a man who has never stopped looking for meaningful purpose beyond the driver’s seat. But to understand the man he is today, one must go back a decade and revisit the key turning points in his Formula 1 journey.
The Impossible Dream: Bringing Ferrari Back to Glory
Back then, Sebastian Vettel had just secured four consecutive Formula 1 World Championships with Red Bull Racing. He could have chosen to stay with the team, enjoy the momentum, and continue competing within an organisation that, while no longer dominant in 2014, remained highly competitive. But that was not enough for him. Vettel had something greater in mind. Something almost mythical in scope—a dream that was both daunting and beautiful. A dream that could keep one awake at night, but that, if fulfilled, would immortalise him in the history of the sport.
His deepest ambition was to win a world title with Scuderia Ferrari. He wanted to start a new winning era, just as his lifelong idol Michael Schumacher had done. The four championships he had already earned with Red Bull were merely the beginning. The ultimate goal was to become a legend in the red overalls of the Prancing Horse. In 2015, Vettel made the move to Maranello. But the Ferrari he joined was one of the weakest seen in years. The 2014 campaign, managed by Marco Mattiacci in the wake of Stefano Domenicali‘s departure, had been a disaster.
Nevertheless, Vettel accepted the challenge. Even though Red Bull was no longer at the top of the field, moving to Ferrari was far from a convenient decision. He wanted to follow in Schumacher’s footsteps—not just in results, but in philosophy and approach. Vettel was always known for being a thoughtful, analytical, and emotionally intelligent driver. He had internalised the Ferrari myth from a young age. Like Michael Schumacher, he wanted to rebuild. He wanted to unite the team, energise the personnel, and create a winning machine from the ground up. But the environment he found at Ferrari was drastically different from what Schumacher had experienced.
Technical Setbacks and the Absence of Charisma
Let’s be honest: while Sebastian Vettel is undeniably talented—anyone who denies that doesn’t truly understand Formula 1—he did not possess the overwhelming charisma that Michael Schumacher brought to the team. Furthermore, the technical group surrounding him at Ferrari was nowhere near the powerhouse that had been formed under Jean Todt, Ross Brawn, Rory Byrne, and Luca di Montezemolo in the late 1990s. The challenge Vettel faced was monumental: he had to compete against the juggernaut that was Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team.
That challenge was nearly insurmountable for anyone. Ferrari, over the years, occasionally managed to rise to the challenge, but only in fleeting moments. Sebastian Vettel had two major opportunities—during the 2017 and 2018 seasons—when the Ferrari SF70H and SF71H were genuinely competitive machines. However, a combination of driving errors, unfortunate incidents, and questionable strategic decisions meant it ultimately wasn’t enough. The sudden death of Sergio Marchionne in 2018 dealt a devastating blow to Vettel’s cause. Marchionne had been one of his strongest supporters, fully believing in the Vettel-Ferrari project.
After Marchionne’s passing, things began to unravel. The 2019 season featured a fast Ferrari, but it was caught up in a highly controversial technical-political dispute over the legality of its power unit. Then came 2020—a season remembered for its disastrous performance. Meanwhile, Charles Leclerc had arrived: young, immensely talented, and hungry for success. Team principal Mattia Binotto, who had taken full control of the team, handled Sebastian Vettel’s departure with a lack of grace. The separation was abrupt, painful, and poorly managed.
Vettel’s Political Campaign Begins to Take Shape
This long backstory is essential to understand the weight of the recent statements made by Sebastian Vettel during an appearance on the podcast “Sport am Sonntag,” aired by Austrian broadcaster ORF. In this interview, Vettel stated that he does not regret his time with Ferrari. On the contrary, the experience brought him global visibility, financial rewards, and valuable personal growth. However, he also admitted that, at a certain point, the human aspect was lost—he believed the team failed to preserve the dignity and honesty needed to tell the truth about what was happening internally.
Although Sebastian remains grateful to Scuderia Ferrari, part of him still feels connected to Red Bull Racing. Given the way things ended with Ferrari, some lingering resentment is understandable. It’s nothing dramatic—rather, it is a very human reaction. Formula 1 is a world that never really lets go of its people, and it seems Vettel is now carefully repositioning himself. While a return to the sport as a driver appears unlikely—he has probably closed that chapter—a comeback in a different role is far from impossible.
A future as a manager, ambassador, or technical consultant is entirely plausible. Vettel may not have found his second career at Maranello, but he could still shape one elsewhere. Perhaps even back at the place where it all began: Red Bull Racing. With his technical knowledge, strategic mindset, media-savviness, and global popularity, Sebastian Vettel would be a valuable asset to any Formula 1 team. And it’s not unthinkable that he could return soon. All signs point to a potential new path leading straight to Milton Keynes, where Red Bull’s headquarters await—and where Vettel’s next chapter in Formula 1 could very well begin.
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