F1 champion Sebastian Vettel to make surprise appearance in 2026 London Marathon

Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel stand side by side at the 2025 Brazilian Grand Prix — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 Legends

F1 champion to make surprise appearance in 2026 London Marathon

An F1 champion will run alongside pundit Tom Clarkson

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Sunday 22 March 2026 13:55

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An F1 champion is taking on a huge challenge later this year, with the London Marathon fast approaching.

Four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel has entered himself into one of the most famous road races in the world to help an F1 pundit in his efforts to raise money for the Brain & Spine Foundation and The Grand Prix Trust.

Beyond The Grid podcast host and star of the official FIA press conferences Tom Clarkson has announced the challenge alongside his son and daughter, as well as Vettel.

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The London Marathon this year falls on Sunday, April 26, with over 50,000 runners set to take to the streets of London for the famous road race.

Taking to X to announce his challenge, Clarkson said: "I'm running the London Marathon for two fantastic F1-related charities: The Grand Prix Trust and The Brain & Spine Foundation. Seb Vettel is running with me. Yep, he's quick."

Clarkson has raised over £800 so far, with McLaren Racing donating £500 of that themselves, and he has a goal of £5000. If you would like to donate to the cause, this link will take you through to Clarkson's page.

Vettel's F1 legacy

Vettel claimed four consecutive world championships between 2010-2013 with Red Bull, also winning 38 grands prix for the Milton Keynes-based outfit in his spell at the team between 2009-2014.

Vettel then moved to Ferrari for the 2015 season onwards, and he picked up 14 additional grand prix wins across six seasons with the Scuderia, before being replaced by Carlos Sainz for the 2021 season.

That led to Vettel opting to move to Aston Martin, where he only added one more podium to his tally before retiring at the end of the 2022 season.

Vettel sits fourth on the all-time lists of race victories and podiums in F1, and he has not ruled out a one-off return to the sport in the future, still only aged 38 years old.

F1 Red Bull Sebastian Vettel