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Sebastian Vettel is confirmed to be in talks with a World Endurance Championship team for a 2024 full-time seat.
Sebastian Vettel could be heading back into racing, but not to F1… Photo credits: Peter J Fox via Getty ImagesThe four-time World Champion is confirmed to be in talks with the Porsche customer team Jota to race with them for a season in WEC and to potentially participate in the Le Mans 24 Hours.
Jota team principal Sam Hignett spoke to Autosport where he confirmed they are in contact with Vettel. However, he mentioned it’s only the early stages of talking and that there is currently no deal been signed:
“We are speaking to Seb, there are discussions, but nothing is done,
“There isn’t any kind of contract signed and he certainly hasn’t tested one of our cars.”
Will Vettel return to F1?
Vettel said goodbye to Formula 1 last November, after 15 years in the sport he announced he would be stepping away and spending more time with his family. However, this wouldn’t be the last time we would see the German. Vettel has made a couple of appearances in the paddock throughout the year and just last weekend in Suzuka he made his second cameo.
During the weekend, the former driver revealed that being back at the circuit made him reminiscent of “the amazing feeling” of being an F1 driver. However, don’t get your hopes up for Vettel to return back in the cockpit of an F1 car anytime soon. He quickly squashed the idea of him returning to the pinnacle of motorsports anytime soon:
“Not for now [when asked about making a return to F1]: F1 was the centre to my life for so long, but once you step out, you realise even more how big the rest of the world is, and how small in a way F1 is.”
New horizons?
Although squashing the rumours about F1, Vettel spoke about the possibility of him heading to the Endurance racing world with journalist Michael Schmidt:
“Nothing has been signed or decided yet,
“But I have the matter in the back of my mind. I still have time to decide.
“If at some point I come to the conclusion that it doesn’t work without racing, then I will drive again.”
How Vettel’s sustainability work lines up with Jota‘s vision
The new ‘Buzzing Corner’ in Suzuka. Photo credits: Kym Illman via Getty ImagesVettel is a huge advocate for the environment. Throughout the past couple of years, he has set up his own campaigns to bring awareness to climate issues and equality. One of the reasons Vettel made an appearance at Suzuka was due to him being an ambassador for the BeesandApples environmental project. Throughout the weekend, he and the grid set up bee hotels around Turn 2 and renamed it the ‘Buzzing Corner’.
When speaking to Autosport, Hignett spoke about how important sustainability is to him and the Jota team and that was one of their pitches to the German:
“Sustainability is important to us as a team, which is why our hospitality unit at Le Mans is solar-powered.
“We know that is important to Seb as well.”
However, Vettel hasn’t been the only former F1 driver to be contacted by a WEC team, Jenson Button – who made his second appearance in the Le Mans 24 Hours in June – has also been in talks for a full-time drive. As well as the Brit, Robert Kubica is also amongst the names to be considered. Could we see Vettel team up with one of his old rivals?
Of course, nothing is confirmed just yet so it is still up in the air if we will see the four-time Champion return back to our screens anytime soon. Would you like to see Vettel return to racing?
