Sebastian Vettel isn’t exactly packing for Milton Keynes, but he’s not hanging up on Red Bull’s call either.
With Helmut Marko still running the energy drink giant’s junior machine at 82 — and fresh off a three-year extension signed in January 2024 — talk has already turned to succession. Marko has made no secret of who he’d like to hand the keys to: the man who delivered Red Bull’s first era of dominance. Vettel, though, says any return would hinge on one thing above all else: clarity.
“I know Helmut very well, and we are also in contact,” Vettel told Auto Motor und Sport. “If this were really to become more concrete, I would first have to become aware of what kind of task I would have to face. A decision would depend heavily on this.”
That’s the crux. The Red Bull “advisor” tag has always been a catch-all for Marko’s reach — talent spotter, dealmaker, enforcer, mentor. Under his watch, the pipeline has produced the likes of Vettel, Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo and Carlos Sainz. It’s a big brief, and Vettel’s not about to sign up without knowing where the lines are.
“Due to my experience and profile, I certainly have a certain competence,” he added, a typically understated nod to the four titles he won in Red Bull colours from 2010–13 before later stints at Ferrari and Aston Martin. He stepped away from racing at the end of 2022 but hasn’t drifted far from the paddock conversation — and he’s already had a taste of mentoring, notably taking Mick Schumacher under his wing.
For Vettel, the job is as much about the head as the stopwatch. “As a young talent, it can be extremely valuable if there is someone there who can help you,” he said. “Not in the sense that they tell you where to brake… Advice in the mental area is more important.” He doesn’t believe in cloning champions either: “You can’t try to turn a driver into the next Hamilton or Schumacher. That doesn’t work. It’s more about perceiving the person, building on strengths and working on weaknesses.”
Inside the current Red Bull camp, the welcome mat is already out. “It’s more than normal that someone that has achieved so much with Red Bull… there’s always a spot available, right?” Verstappen said. “I’m sure that there’s always a space for Seb in any kind of form.”
Whether that space becomes a job title is up to Red Bull. Vettel’s willing to talk — just not to guess.
