With Fernando Alonso shining, Sebastian Vettel opens up on F1 return

While Fernando Alonso is shining at Aston Martin, Sebastian Vettel has revealed that he is "coping" with post-F1 life.

Four-time Formula 1 drivers' world champion Vettel called it quits at the end of last season after spending the final two years of his career with Aston Martin. The German legend has also expressed his happiness watching his former team shining in the ongoing season, with Alonso currently in third place in the drivers' championship, clinching four podium finishes in five races.

Known for his private nature, not much has been heard of Vettel since his final race at the end of last term, except when the former F1 driver made headlines by announcing his participation in the Goodwood Festival of Speed, where he will drive Nigel Mansell's iconic Williams FW14B. It will be Vettel's first appearance in an F1 car since his retirement.

Vettel: Took me time to get used to retirement

In a recent interview, Vettel opened up on how he is embracing retirement, while also reacting to all the rumours about his possible return to the F1 paddock.

"After such a long time in racing, I have something like an everyday life for the first time. It took me some time to get used to it. Above all, I enjoy the time with my children," Vettel told German outlet BILD.

Speaking further on how he is dealing with retirement, Vettel said that he is so far doing well with his decision, but what he misses the most is "the competition and the tension."

Alonso, who replaced Vettel at Aston Martin, is just 44 points behind leader Max Verstappen in the 2023 season title race after the opening five Grand Prix of the season. Meanwhile, Aston Martin are second in the Constructors Championship with 102 points.

Vettel's journey in motorsport started at the tender age of three when he started karting before moving to single-seaters at 16. At just 20, Vettel made his F1 debut. Racing has been an essential part of his life, making retirement a significant change.

"It was strange at first not to be there. But I get on well with it and follow the sport with great interest. I am very happy for my former team. You have also worked hard in recent years. It's nice that they're clinching a few trophies now," added Vettel.

Ahead of his participation in Goodwood with Williams, Vettel, who still considers motorsport as his "passion", also spoke about what he was expecting from the event as he sees it as a fine opportunity and motivation to go through various aspects and look for ideas for possible future projects.

"Driving my old racing cars with e-fuels at Goodwood is a special experience. Motorsport is my passion, and it is important for me to showcase that we can achieve similar performance and speed with synthetic, CO2-neutral fuels. Today, synthetic fuels provide a responsible solution for enjoying the sport. Many people are still unaware of this," explained Vettel.

At the event, Vettel will also be driving Ayrton Senna's McLaren MP4/8, apart from Nigel Mansell's Williams FW14B. Both cars are from Vettel's own collection. It will be Vettel's first appearance at Goodwood since 2012, when he celebrated his second World Championship by driving his title-winning Red Bull RB7.

Vettel opens up on his future

Over the last few months, there has been plenty of speculation about Vettel's future, especially about his possible return to the F1 paddock. There was a suggestion that considering Vettel's leadership skills, he could be great fit as a leader of the AlphaTauri team, prior to the announcement that Laurent Mekies will take on that role.

It was earlier reported that Vettel has been in touch with his former team Red Bull, where he could potentially have a new role. AlphaTauri ace Yuki Tsunoda suggested that the German would be ideal to take over from Helmut Marko as head of Red Bull's junior drivers.

In the same interview with BILD, when Vettel was asked about these rumours and when he will return to F1 paddock, the former champion replied, "I don't know yet."