Vettel: Maybe I want to come back one day

In an interview with Swiss NZZ, Sebastian Vettel talked about his life after leaving Formula 1…

Question: Why did you become more interested in the environment than in motorsports?
Sebastian Vettel: This didn’t happen overnight. As you get older, your attitude towards life changes. In Formula 1 we don’t think beyond next season. Everything else is very abstract. But then children appear, you want to be close to them and protect them for the rest of their lives. And you have a real future.

At one point I thought: wait, something isn’t right here. What is really happening to our world? Is there anything more important than what was most important to me before? And a huge world with enormous problems opened up for me. Much bigger than the task of making a race car faster.

I asked myself: what does my life consist of? I started wondering about the carbon footprint that everyone was talking about, and I started recording how I moved. After gathering information, I started to change my life. I stopped flying on a private jet, which used to be common due to lack of time and comfort. And queuing with everyone else at the airport was no longer a problem. The twelve hours in the car to Barcelona did not harm my preparation for the race: we even enjoyed stopping along the way and discovering Avignon, for example. I didn’t give up freedom, but customs.

Question: For many, owning a car means freedom…
Sebastian Vettel: Most cars are parked 98% of the time. But what would our cities look like if garages were no longer necessary? I understand that many people are afraid of change. But they miss the opportunity to see how much better off they would be if cities became more livable, safer and cleaner. But don’t get me wrong: I’m not one to groan when a car goes by.

Question: Do you follow Formula 1?
Sebastian Vettel: Yes. I tried to refuse, missed the first practice sessions of the first Grand Prix, but sat in front of the TV for qualifying. And I saw the race. This turned out not to be as strange as I first thought. I then watched a few more races throughout the season, or at least highlights of them.

Now I’m not close to Formula 1, but this sport still interests me. I watch it with my wife and comment for her. She said it was the first time she really understood our sport.

I love this sport, it is versatile and deep. But I understand that many things are too complex to understand in an hour and a half.

Q: Who did you root for last season?
Sebastian Vettel: For Verstappen. Some may find his constant victories boring, but his talent and achievements should be recognized.

Q: Do you let your kids watch the Netflix series Drive to Survive?
Sebastian Vettel: They didn’t ask me about it. Personally, I only saw one episode when the series came out. I thought it was a bit strange, but I understand why it got a lot of attention and a new audience. This is impossible if you spend hours explaining how to adjust the damper. On Netflix, viewers feel like they are seeing more because they are seeing extra drama. But when I feel the need to find out more about current Formula 1, I don’t pick up the remote control, I pick up the phone.

Question: Now that Lewis Hamilton will join Ferrari in 2025, a lot will change in Formula 1. Would you like to return?
Sebastian Vettel: I was surprised by this statement. Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff didn’t call me, but we did exchange text messages.

So far this has not been a problem for me, I am 36 years old and still have all the time in the world. So it won’t go away. During this year without racing I have learned and understood a lot, including about myself. Being on the other side had a big impact on me and a lot of questions came up.

There’s no active project yet, but maybe one day I’ll say I’d like to come back. But at the moment I’m doing just fine without competing in Formula 1. There’s no hard ‘no’, but there’s no hard ‘yes’ either.