Sebastian Vettel has signaled his willingness to step into a senior role at Red Bull, potentially succeeding long-time advisor Helmut Marko, with the four-time Formula 1 world champion saying his experience and insight could provide meaningful guidance to the sport’s rising stars.
The 38-year-old German, who left the grid at the end of 2022, has distanced himself from any thoughts of a racing comeback in F1 – but not from the paddock entirely.
Vettel confirmed that informal talks with Marko have taken place, and while no formal offer is on the table, he’s not ruling out a return to the sport in an influential off-track capacity.
“I know Helmut very well, and we’re also in contact,” Vettel said in an interview with Auto Motor und Sport. “If that [replacing him] were to become more concrete, I would first have to become aware of the task that would lie ahead of me.
“A decision would strongly depend on that. Based on my experience and profile, I certainly bring a certain level of expertise.”
Mentoring the Next Generation
Vettel, who was discovered and mentored by Marko in Red Bull’s junior program before rising to become the team’s first world champion, believes that his journey through the sport has provided him with the perspective to support younger drivers – not through driving advice, but through mental resilience and strategic insight.
“As a young talent, it can be extremely valuable to have someone there who can help you,” he said. “Not in the sense that they tell you where to brake, steer, or how to take the curb. He has to be able to do that himself.
“Advice in the mental area is more important. The four drivers currently leading Formula 1 are all capable of becoming World Champions. In the end, there will only be one, and there will be a reason for that.”
Lessons from Schumacher and Staying True to Yourself
Reflecting on his own career, Vettel shared an anecdote about seeking advice from his idol, Michael Schumacher, to illustrate how mentoring is less about specific instructions and more about encouraging drivers to find their own path.
“I remember once calling Michael. He had already retired. I wanted to know from him how he drives the first sector in Suzuka, because he was always so strong there,” Vettel recalled.
“He replied: ‘I have no idea. What am I supposed to tell you now?’ He didn’t describe in detail exactly how he approached all the corners, only that he drove the sector in a way that felt right to him. That’s what he relied on.”
The story underlines Vettel’s core belief: that mentorship in F1 must focus on helping drivers discover and refine their own instincts rather than molding them into replicas of past champions.
“You can’t change people, you can only build on their strengths and work on their weaknesses,” he said. “You also mustn’t try to mold a driver into the next Hamilton or Schumacher.
“That doesn’t work. It’s more about perceiving people as they are, rather than advising them to shed one trait and adopt more of another.”
Read also: Vettel puts F1 in the past but ‘exciting’ WEC a ‘good fit’
While Vettel was clear that Marko – now 82 – is “not replaceable,” his openness to a potential advisory role at Red Bull points to a future where he could transition from world champion driver to mentor and architect of future champions.
For now, no formal announcement has been made, but Vettel’s comments have laid a strong foundation for what could become a new chapter in his illustrious motorsport career – one where his voice might shape the next generation of F1 talent from behind the scenes.
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