Recently-retired F1 driver Sebastian Vettel has hinted that he could be tempted to return to the sport amidst rumours that Audi has prioritised him as their main driver when they enter the sport.
Vettel has one main condition for making a comeback and that is for F1 to start using greener options such as synthetic fuels.
The German driver spent a lot of time advocating to protect the environment and it is believed that it was one of the main contributors to him deciding to end his run in the pinnacle of motorsport racing.
Swiss newspaper Blick has reported that Sauber CEO Andreas Seidl has earmarked Vettel to lead the charge in the 2026 season, which will be the year Audi makes its debut in the sport through a partnership with Sauber.
It goes without saying that fans have missed Vettel’s presence on the track, even if his results in recent years have been underwhelming.
In all fairness, Vettel struggled to find his best form ever since he made the move away from Red Bull, where he won all four of his world championships in successive years.
His stint at Ferrari began with some promise, but he eventually struggled at the team and was even shown the exit door.
However, the 35-year-old gave an interesting interview to German publication Bild, where he explained how the love for motorsport still runs high in him.
“Motorsport is my passion. It’s important to me to show that we can drive just as well and quickly with synthetic, i.e. CO2-neutral fuel,” he said.
While Vettel was in no two minds about the extra family time he has been afforded after ending his time in the sport, he spoke about how it felt strange to watch races on TV from his living room.
He confessed that while it felt ‘weird’ not to be in action himself, he was still following F1 ‘with great interest’.
Vettel did not shut the door on potentially racing again, saying that he was content with his decision to retire but still misses ‘the competition and the tension’ that springs from competitive sport.
Environmental matters have been a big cause for Vettel and he often said he felt like a ‘hypocrite’ raising these issues while still being a racer.
Vettel has taken part in a number of sustainability initiatives such as ‘Save the Bees’ and ‘Race without Trace’.