Sebastian Vettel is being courted for a return to Red Bull, not as a driver, but in a different role within the team. He has already held discussions with Helmut Marko, the 82-year-old Red Bull advisor who previously identified the German as his ideal successor.
Sebastian Vettel is inextricably linked with Red Bull: between 2010 and 2013, he secured all four of his world championships with the Milton Keynes-based team. Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko named Vettel as his ideal successor back in April. It now appears that actual discussions are underway between the two parties about a potential role at Red Bull.
“There have already been a few headlines. I still get along very well with Helmut and we are also discussing the subject,” the German confirmed in the Sport am Sonntag podcast of the Austrian broadcaster ORF (Österreichischer Rundfunk). “These discussions are not yet intense and in-depth, but it could be something where I can play a role. The form it will take remains to be seen.”
Irreplaceable
The Austrian has been involved with Red Bull since the team’s inception in 2005. Prior to that, Marko led the Red Bull Junior Team for six years. He oversees the driver development program and is known for his role in guiding four-time world champions Vettel and Max Verstappen.
Vettel is full of praise for the legacy that Marko will leave behind. “Marko is irreplaceable. Let’s just leave it at that, regarding his character. He has done a tremendous amount for the team since 2005. It would be wonderful if the work he has done is continued, by whoever that may be.”
Marko’s contract runs until the end of 2026. By that time, Vettel could potentially follow in his footsteps, although the 82-year-old himself has no plans of retiring yet. “He has often said that he would retire, but he is still here,” Vettel laughs, continuing with a more serious tone: “I wish him all the best, so that he can continue for a very long time, but he is a realist and can assess situations very well. I think he will know when the right time has come.”
