Vettel willing to drive for Red Bull again, Aston Martin an option
Vettel willing to drive for Red Bull again, Aston Martin an option
Sebastian Vettel has revealed he would be willing to return to Red Bull to secure his future in Formula 1 beyond this season, while he has not ruled out the possibility of joining Aston Martin.
With Renault confirming on Wednesday Fernando Alonso's return - and Vettel has stated he also held talks with the French manufacturer - options to remain in F1 are beginning to dwindle.
The prospect of rejoining a Red Bull team that made him a four-time F1 champion appears to be off the table, if the words of advisor Helmut Marko are to be believed, yet the 33-year-old would go back if the chance was offered.
Asked whether he would consider it, and on the prospect of going up against Max Verstappen, Vettel replied: "Generally I'm of the conviction that if you want to win you have to be happy to take on anyone.
"I obviously know the team very well from my past, so of course, I am still in contact with a lot of people there, whether it's Christian [Horner], Helmut, or others.
"Red Bull has a winning car, I believe so. They are a very strong team, I know how strong they are from the past. Obviously, a part of the team is not the same and they have evolved, so it's not fair to say I know the team inside out because it also has changed and moved on.
"But I know why they were strong back then, and they are still a contender, and obviously, it's a car you can win races in, so for sure, that would be interesting."
Asked directly if offered a drive with the Red Bull team whether he would take it, Vettel said: "It's a winning car, and as I said earlier, I am here to compete, to win - so probably the answer would be yes."
Intriguingly, Vettel was effusive in his praise for Racing Point, that next season morphs into Aston Martin, and a car that has clearly proven this season after the weekend's opening race in Austria that its pre-season testing form was no flash in the pan.
"I think Racing Point left a very strong impression and are certainly in a good place for this year," added Vettel.
"I know part of the team, I know some members of the team quite well from my past and for a long time, so I think obviously it's a good opportunity for them this year to have a good car to fight with and try to improve from there."
Vettel, though, insists that "everything is an option at the moment", which includes the possibility of leaving F1 or taking a sabbatical, as suggested by Marko, but he has yet to make a decision.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Vettel did discuss with Renault its vacancy prior to the team opting for Alonso.
"I've spent such a long time in the paddock that I know quite a lot of people, so yes I did [have talks], but obviously at no point concrete enough or fundamental talks or real talks," said Vettel.
Before you go...
Perez has podium in sight after being handed rare F1 chance
"No place for Vettel" at Red Bull - Marko
Related
Change your timezone:
Latest News
Haas announce Hulkenberg EXIT as F1 star's new team confirmed
- Today 11:27
F1 champion claims Drive to Survive success was 'very lucky'
- 2 hours ago
F1 franchise welcomes return of INCREDIBLE feature
- 3 hours ago
F1 News Today: Red Bull star set to QUIT team as F1 driver role CONFIRMED for 2025
- 3 hours ago
F1 team set to axe BOTH star drivers
- 3 hours ago
Red Bull to lose F1 MVP as true cost of Horner saga hits
- Today 09:57
Related news
Marko reveals Vettel requirements for stunning F1 comeback
Wolff drops Vettel F1 return clue
Vettel considering 'interesting' F1 return option
Hamilton backs Vettel to REPLACE him at Mercedes
F1 Standings
Drivers
- Oliver Bearman
- Charles Leclerc
- Carlos Sainz
- Lando Norris
- Oscar Piastri
- Pierre Gasly
- Esteban Ocon
- Sergio Pérez
- Max Verstappen
- Alexander Albon
- Logan Sargeant
- Lewis Hamilton
- George Russell
- Nico Hülkenberg
- Kevin Magnussen
- Fernando Alonso
- Lance Stroll
- Valtteri Bottas
- Zhou Guanyu
- Daniel Ricciardo
- Yuki Tsunoda
Races
- Gulf Air Grand Prix of Bahrain 2024
- Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Australia 2024
- MSC Cruises Grand Prix of Japan 2024
- Grand Prix of China 2024
- Miami Grand Prix 2024
- Gran Premio dell'Emilia Romagna 2024
- Grand Prix of Monaco 2024
- Grand Prix du Canada 2024
- Gran Premio de España 2024
- Grand Prix of Austria 2024
- Grand Prix of Great Britain 2024
- Grand Prix of Hungary 2024
- Grand Prix of Belgium 2024
- Heineken Dutch Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Italy 2024
- Grand Prix of Azerbaijan 2024
- Grand Prix of Singapore 2024
- Grand Prix of the United States 2024
- Gran Premio de la Ciudad de Mexico 2024
- Grande Prêmio de São Paulo 2024
- Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix 2024
- Qatar Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi 2024
About GPFans
GPFans is a multi-platform, multi-language brand dedicated to Formula One coverage. We bring you all the ins and outs of the sport, 24/7, everything from up-to-the-minute news and features to the latest viral stories and clips.We believe that a new generation of exciting, outspoken drivers will make F1 more popular than ever before, and we want to give our users access to as much of their heroes as possible, on and off the track. From Lewis Hamilton to Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo to Sebastian Vettel, we provide in-depth analysis of every every Grand Prix in the season, from Australia to Abu Dhabi.
With Formula One under the new ownership of Liberty Media, how the sport is being covered is evolving, and GPFans will look to be at the heart of this progression into new media, as one of the fastest-growing sites covering the king of motorsports.
Follow us on your favorite social media channel
Corporate & Media
Innovatieweg 20C7007 CD, Doetinchem, Netherlands
+31645516860