Helmut Marko slams the door on a Vettel comeback at Red Bull and believes that the four-time world champion is more likely to race at Le Mans in the future
There were emotional moments when Sebastian Vettel drove demo laps in his own 1993 McLaren at Imola in memory of Ayrton Senna and Roland Ratzenberger. But a “real” comeback as a racing driver in the Formula 1 circus is unlikely, although Vettel himself would reportedly be interested
Should there be an opportunity for a competitive regular seat in Formula 1. But this does not seem to be the case.
Helmut Marko, Vettel’s long-time sponsor in the Red Bull junior team, does not believe in a return to Formula 1. The top teams are either closed or have no interest, and a four-time world champion cannot really enjoy being left behind.
“If I’m correctly informed, it’s more in the direction of Porsche and endurance racing”, but was activated free of charge for all users on Saturday morning.
Marko, himself a Porsche Le Mans winner in 1971, considers the switch to endurance racing to be “a good solution”, especially as a WEC season with eight race weekends is probably more compatible with Vettel’s private life as a family man than a Formula 1 season with 24 race weekends.
Obviously nobody wants Vettel!
In the interview conducted on Saturday morning near the race track in Imola, Marko confirms that Vettel has also knocked on Red Bull’s door in the meantime: “He has asked us again and again. But next to Verstappen, I don’t think that would be a pleasant time for him.”
If you talk to team bosses behind closed doors about the theoretical possibility of a Vettel comeback, they all ask the same questions: How good is Vettel still? Would a Vettel in 2025 be the same champion as he was in the world championship years from 2010 to 2013, or in his best Ferrari days – or would you get a Vettel driver who was beaten by Charles Leclerc at Ferrari and was nowhere near as clearly in control of Lance Stroll at Aston Martin as Fernando Alonso is today?
Vettel’s age would probably not be a deal-breaker per se. Alonso proves that you can still perform at the top level at the age of 42. Lewis Hamilton is 39 and Nico Hülkenberg, at 36, is considered one of the best qualifiers in Formula 1. Vettel will be 37 in July – young enough to add another year or two.
But the days when everyone wanted Vettel are apparently over. When asked specifically whether a Vettel comeback would be a good idea, Marko replies with a shrug: “Comeback? Where? “
Verstappen to McLaren? Max says so himself
Anno 2024, Max Verstappen is the king of the board. He is said to be keen to switch to Mercedes, and because he has always emphasized that it is important to him to be in the fastest car, a journalist asked him in the press conference on Thursday whether he shouldn’t actually switch to McLaren now.
“That’s not how it works,” Verstappen waved it off. “We still have a very, very fast car. And if you look at the season average, I think we even have the fastest car. Otherwise you wouldn’t be leading the championship.” Or, as Marko recently commented on the hype surrounding McLaren: “Let’s leave the church in the village.”
“I’m happy where I am,” Verstappen clarifies. “A lot is being invested right now with the new engine factory. I am happy. We just have to keep working on improving our package. That’s the only thing I’m thinking about. If I thought like that, I would have to think about changing teams almost every race! But I don’t think like that. “
