Despite retiring from Formula 1 in 2022, it is being claimed Sebastian Vettel is ‘not yet completely finished’ with the sport and chased the 2025 Red Bull seat alongside Max Verstappen.

Helmut Marko turned him down as he didn’t want the German’s reputation to suffer.

Did Sebastian Vettel wanted the Red Bull seat?

Four-time F1 World Champion Vettel walked away from the sport at the end of the 2022 season after a disappointing year of fighting just to score points with Aston Martin.

Amidst questions about his motivation and just a week after stating he had a “clear intention” to stay in Formula 1 beyond the 2022 season, Vettel announced on the eve of the Hungarian Grand Prix that he would retire at the end of that season.

“I think the questions got bigger and bigger and more central to a point that I made the decision,” he explained. “It’s not a 100 per cent or 0 per cent decision – it’s not like I hate racing from now on; I still love racing – but it’s probably the majority that pulls me into a different direction.

“I’m not making way, because it’s my decision, but I’m happy to head into a different direction.”

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That direction has seen him spending time with his family, open a bee hotel with the F1 drivers at the Red Bull Ring, become the co-owner of Germany SailGP Team and even study in Switzerland for his degree as a farmer.

But according to F1-Insider, he is ‘not yet completely finished his Formula 1 career’.

The publication claims Vettel has said to those close to him that he believes he’s still ‘fit enough’ to take on the best that Formula 1 has to offer and will ‘continue to look for a comeback opportunity’.

He fell short of that goal last year when he spoke with Audi and also Red Bull. While he spoke with Andreas Seidl, the project manager of the soon-to-be-rebranded Sauber team, the German signed Nico Hulkenberg to cover the German quota for the team.

He also spoke with Red Bull, the team with whom he won all four of his World titles. However, Marko turned down the 37-year-old.

“Sebastian would have liked to drive with us next to Max Verstappen,” he explained to F1-Insider.

“But that wouldn’t have made sense, also to protect him. Max would have clearly beaten him and damaged Sebastian’s reputation. I couldn’t and didn’t want to let that happen.”

Vettel did admit publicly last year that he may not be done with Formula 1, but that it would need to be the right opportunity.

Speaking to Sky F1 in April, he was asked if he would be open to a F1 return and replied: Well, potentially I am because I haven’t got a drive, but the question is: am I looking for one? I think it depends on the package.

“I retired from Formula 1 not to come back, but I also did say that you never know. So I think it still stands.”

But amid the renewed rumours that he could chase a comeback in F1 2026, former Red Bull driver David Coulthard has warned him against it.

“No!” was his emphatic response to digital F1 content creator Lucas Stewart when the prospect of Vettel making a comeback was put to him.

Pressed on whether he thinks Vettel wants to return, the Scot replied: “Only if he’s living in a delusional space where he thinks that having taken a couple of years out, he’ll be quicker.

“But the facts are, the stopwatch doesn’t lie and he wasn’t delivering the lap times at the end of his career.”

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