F1 News: Sebastian Vettel Tipped For Racing Return With German Automaker

Saajan Jogia | Nov 12, 2024

Oct 22, 2022; Austin, Texas, USA; Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant Formula One Team driver Sebastian Vettel (5) of Team Germany is interviewed after the qualifying session for the U.S. Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Former Formula 1 champion Sebastian Vettel has been linked to a racing return with Porsche for the 2025 Le Mans 24 Hours. The former Aston Martin driver participated in a 36-hour endurance test with the German automaker in March at Motorland Aragon in Spain, as it assessed potential drivers for its third car entry.

Since retiring from Formula 1 in 2022, Vettel has been linked to various potential racing comebacks. However, a return to Formula 1 appears unlikely for the four-time world champion, particularly as the Le Mans prototypes have caught his interest. This curiosity led him to undergo a test with Porsche, where he reportedly passed with flying colors.

Porsche Penske Motorsport will reportedly run three 963s with an updated lineup of eight drivers compared to the previous ten. Vettel has been linked to a seat in the third Hypercar entry alongside IMSA champion Felipe Nasr and Nick Tandy. Speaking about the test with Porsche, Vettel said:

“I was curious how these cars behave, and that was the reason for the test.

“It was a very nice experience, I enjoyed it a lot, and I had a lot of fun.

“Now I need to think and decide, and make my mind up, what I maybe want to do in terms of racing in the future. But I don’t know yet.”

Speaking on the open seat for 2025, Porsche LMDh factory director Urs Kuratle told Sportscar365.com:

"We are short of one driver, that is mathematically true.

“We have to think about it, obviously, when we came up with that decision. That’s something we’re evaluating but there’s no name there.

“There’s nothing set yet; it’s not decided, but obviously we have it in our mind.”

When he was asked if there is a possibility of Vettel filling the seat, Kuratle said:

“I’m not ruling it out.

“Sebastian and Porsche AG, they have a friendly relationship. They talk to each other. I cannot rule it out at the moment but it’s not set.”

However, one challenge still remains. Porsche's third Le Mans entry hasn't been confirmed officially, though an approval is expected in the weeks to come. Kuratle explained:

“We are looking for the process of how to get it granted.

“By winning the IMSA championship we have the third entry.

“It’s a little bit different operations and a bit more costs. We have to have discussions with Porsche internally.

“It’s not 100 percent sure yet; we have to discuss it with Porsche internally first and agree with everybody, but we have the entry, which is the biggest roadblock usually to get the third car at Le Mans.

“That one is granted now. All of the rest of the steps we will do. But I think we can expect Porsche to have three cars at Le Mans.”