It has been more than a year since we last saw Sebastian Vettel take a seat in a Formula 1 car. Upon his departure, the German said he needed more time for family and friends and for work outside Formula 1. The former driver was present at the Grand Prix at the Imola circuit where Motorsport-Magazin reporter Christian Danner spoke with him.
In his most recent report, Danner says that since the weekend in Imola he no longer has confidence that we will see Vettel back on the grid. A striking conclusion given that a lot is expected to happen in the driver market for the coming season. For example, it is not yet known who will drive alongside Hülkenberg at Sauber and Haas and VCARB have not yet announced who will drive for them next season.
A less sparkling Vettel
Danner seems to be completely sure: Vettel will not return to Formula 1. “Vettel said: ‘Formula 1 – I don’t think so’,” the German says in his report. According to Danner, there are two reasons why, in his opinion, Vettel has now definitively left Formula 1 behind. “First of all, I think he’s noticed that he’s not in demand anymore. In addition, I think he has come to terms with what (a return to the sport, ed.) would mean. The energy you have to put into it and the amount of training you have to do.’
All in all, Vettel did not leave the best impression on the German reporter during the weekend in Italy. ‘When I saw him standing there shaking his hand, I thought he looked a little pale and hunched over. He hasn’t been the sparkling person we know him to be lately. I hope he’s okay,” Danner said. According to the reporter, he was not the only one who noticed the change in Vettel. According to Danner, several drivers allegedly asked Vettel where his neck muscles were. “You can train a lot, but I think reality speaks clearly for Vettel.”
Apart from the not too positive impression Vettel made in Imola, his tribute to racing legend Ayrton Senna was very much appreciated. Vettel briefly drove around the circuit in a McLaren MP4/8 with which Senna last won in 1993. ‘That was fantastic and it shows what a great boy Vettel is. He is someone who really appreciates the history of the sport. It made me very happy and was also well received in the rest of the world, especially in Brazil of course. Someone who finally seemed to realize that Senna is the one and only god of racing heaven.’
