Sebastian Vettel: retirement caused by Aston Martin?
There may be more reasons behind Sebastian Vettel’s decision to announce his retirement from F1 at the end of the 2022 season. The four-time world champion always cited “family reasons,” explaining that he wanted to spend more time with his three children. However, he never definitively closed the door on motorsport. According to F1-Insider—a web magazine run by well-informed German journalists Ralph Bach and Bianca Garloff—Vettel’s retirement was actually driven by Aston Martin’s decision not to renew his contract for the 2023 season.
Sebastian Vettel’s attempts with Audi-Sauber
Lawrence Stroll’s team ultimately bet on Fernando Alonso, who had a strong first half of the season and was often seen as the only driver capable of challenging Red Bull’s dominance. Despite his announced retirement, Vettel never stopped looking for ways to return to the paddock. According to the German publication, Sebastian Vettel first sought a seat with Audi-Sauber but was politely rejected by then-CEO Andreas Seidl.
It is no secret that Audi initially tried to sign Carlos Sainz before settling on the experienced and reliable Nico Hülkenberg. With the arrival of Mattia Binotto—who was Vettel’s team principal at Ferrari in 2019-2020 and did not renew his contract, opting for Sainz in 2021—the second seat eventually went to young Brazilian talent Gabriel Bortoleto, who was signed away from McLaren’s Academy.
Helmut Marko’s ‘no’ to Red Bull
That’s not all. Aware of Sergio Perez’s struggles alongside Max Verstappen, Sebastian Vettel also tried to offer himself to Red Bull. Some confirmation of this comes from Helmut Marko himself, who admitted in an interview with F1-Insider last summer that there had been discussions with the 37-year-old. However, Marko explained that the team wanted to protect Vettel’s legacy and avoid a direct, potentially damaging comparison with the Dutch champion:
*”Sebastian would have liked to drive for us alongside Verstappen. But it wouldn’t have made sense, and we decided not to do it—also to protect him. Max would have clearly beaten him, damaging his reputation. I couldn’t and wouldn’t allow that.”*
Le Mans door closed as well
The picture that emerges is of a Sebastian Vettel trying to find a way back into top-level motorsport but encountering closed doors at every turn. The last rejection reportedly came from Porsche, which, after conducting a couple of tests with the four-time F1 champion in the Hypercar 963, ultimately chose to go in a different direction. The manufacturer instead selected former Sauber driver Felipe Nasr to complete its third lineup for the 24 Hours of Le Mans last year.
Future plans: The ROC and a farming diploma
For now, Vettel’s only confirmed plans involve occasional appearances at select GPs as part of his *Race Without Trace* initiative, which promotes synthetic and low-emission fuels. He has also driven classic F1 cars from his personal collection, such as Ayrton Senna’s McLaren MP4/8 and Nigel Mansell’s Williams FW14B. Additionally, he will compete in the Race of Champions in Sydney on March 7-8. Between April and May, Sebastian Vettel is set to take an oral exam in Switzerland to obtain a farming license, allowing him to personally manage a sustainable farm in line with his environmental interests.
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