Vettel Open to Racing Return, Advises Hamilton on Ferrari

Sebastian Vettel, the four-time Formula 1 world champion, expressed openness to a return to competitive racing during a recent appearance on the Beyond the Grid podcast, while reflecting on the aspects of the sport he misses and offering pointed advice to Lewis Hamilton ahead of the British driver's move to Ferrari.

Vettel, who retired from Formula 1 at the end of the 2022 season after stints with Red Bull, Ferrari, and Aston Martin, described a life post-racing that suits him well, emphasizing more time for family and off-track pursuits. However, he admitted that certain high-stakes moments still evoke a sense of longing. "It's the intense moments that I might miss here and there," he said, citing an example from the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka, where he watched qualifying from the sidelines and yearned to feel the car on low fuel and new tires. He contrasted this with the race itself, where drivers manage full tanks and tire wear, a grind he does not miss. Vettel highlighted the adrenaline of qualifying laps at Monaco or street circuits, and the tactical battles on track, where radio communication and race strategy heighten the pressure. "Somebody's breathing down your neck...