Following speculation that retired four-time World Champion Sebastian Vettel might be open to a future managerial position in Formula 1, Red Bull advisor Dr Helmut Marko has suggested that the German needs to “find himself first”, before diving into the managerial world at the pinnacle of motorsport.
Vettel retired at the end of the 2022 season as a four-time World Champion and a 53-time Grand Prix winner, after an illustrious 15-year career.
The German ultimately decided that he wanted to spend more time with his young family, with the incredible amount of travelling meaning that he spent long periods of time away from them.
Marko has pointed out, though, that a managerial position would include “just as much effort and travel” as an F1 driver, questioning if it’s the right move for the 35-year-old.
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“I think he has to find himself first and see what he wants exactly,” Marko said.
“If he were to have a managerial position, that would involve just as much effort and travel as he has already been doing.”
Should Vettel decide that management is for him, then it’s likely that Red Bull will welcome the German back into the team with open arms, given that the Milton Keynes-based outfit know what sort of person their former driver is.
“It is not solidarity,” the Austrian said, “but because we know how he works. From the lessons we learned about what Sebastian Vettel can achieve, we know he is an open-minded, intelligent young man.”
Whilst Vettel’s love for F1 will never die, an issue that could stop him from taking up a managerial role is his stance on current political issues, with the German having demonstrated incredible support for various campaigns and communities over recent years.
Given that doing any of the such is now banned by the FIA, Vettel may think twice about returning, with the former F1 driver admitting himself that the sport must “think of alternatives” given the current environmental issues.
“I love motorsport but at the same time I am very careful when it comes to the future,” Vettel told Corriere dello Sport at the recent Race of Champions.
“There are young drivers now and I have kids and I think it was a real privilege to experience the world of motorsport in the way I did. And it would be a shame if it was banned one day for obvious reasons.
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“I think going forward, if we want to keep having this sport and cultivating our passion for racing, we have to think of alternatives.
“We can continue to do things as we are used to for a few more years but then we will run into a very big problem,” said Vettel.
“So it’s good that the movement is there – people are thinking about how to create a sustainable future.”