Sebastian Vettel getting ‘slight pullback’ for F1? Ex-strategist on why return could be possible

Former Aston Martin strategist Bernie Collins believes Sebastian Vettel could be tempted out of F1 retirement, should the right seat emerge.

Vettel has been back behind the wheel this week while testing a Porsche 963 Hypercar, and admitted he does “flirt with” thoughts of returning to motorsport, with more than half the Formula 1 grid uncontracted beyond the end of the year as it stands.

Bernie Collins on Sebastian Vettel: ‘I think he would’ come out of retirement

Four-time World Champion Vettel retired at the end of 2022 after finishing his career with Aston Martin, though his final two seasons lacked the success with which he had become accustomed throughout his illustrious career.

Collins, now a Sky Sports pundit after stepping away from the pit wall, explained that she could be tempted back into race strategy for another Grand Prix if the opportunity presented itself due to the inherent ‘pull’ Formula 1 has – and that feeling would likely only be heightened for a driver of Vettel’s calibre, who has spent the majority of his life in racing.

“I think he would,” Collins told The Fast and The Curious podcast when asked if Vettel could be tempted out of retirement.

“I think that all of them have that drive within them, and all of them have been doing this for the past X number of years. Not even their F1 career – like their karting career, their junior career, they’ve been doing it for so long.

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“So, he stepped away [from F1] less than I did [sic], a year and a half ago. Unless you very quickly fill that void, I imagine for all of them, there’s that sort of slight pullback.

“Thinking of me, when you think if someone said, ‘Oh, you can get on the pit wall for strategy and do one more race’, I’d probably do it.

“So if that’s me, and I had only been doing strategy for eight years, he’s going to be like someone says, ‘Oh, you can get in this reasonably fast car for a year’ he’d be like, ‘Yeah.’

“I think, unfortunately, he was racing in Aston Martin, the car wasn’t performing as expected, he was trying to prioritise his home life, his kids, stuff like that – very important.

“So I think, if you’re then given an opportunity to get into a car that you know is going to hit the ground running…”

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