Sebastian Vettel not ruling out surprise F1 comeback

Sebastian Vettel has stated it is "absolutely conceivable" that he will return to F1 in some capacity in the future, despite ruling out a comeback as a driver.

The 38-year-old retired from the championship at the end of the 2022 season and has found himself linked to a second stint on multiple occasions.

More recently, however, the German has been linked to becoming Red Bull motorsport adviser Helmut Marko's successor or another related role at the Milton Keynes squad, where he won his four F1 drivers' championships between 2010 and 2013.

Those chances have seemingly dimmed, with the 82-year-old explaining that the current upheaval at the team and the demanding requirements of the role might not fit well with Vettel, who is enjoying being away from the full-time rigours of life in the paddock.

"It didn't go any further, because we were quite busy reorganising the team within Red Bull Racing," Marko told F1-Insider.

"Moreover, this is a full-time job; it's not something you can do just for a few races. The profile that we require, I don't think, is anything for him."

Nonetheless, Vettel, who is a former Grand Prix Drivers' Association (GPDA) director, is open to stepping back into the limelight to "take over some function" down the line.

"As a driver, no, those days are over. But maybe, to take over some function, that is absolutely conceivable," the 53-time grand prix winner told ZDF-Sportstudio, adding, however, that he is "really satisfied" and "has enough to do" at the moment.

There have been rumours that Vettel might explore endurance racing, but according to him, speculation of a WEC move is "not so concrete" at this stage. 

"I once drove a car like that because I found it interesting," he said. "It was fun, but so far, nothing more has come out. But I still have some time."