Sebastian Vettel yet to ‘make up mind’ over racing return after Porsche test

Four-time F1 world champion Sebastian Vettel says he is yet to decide whether he wants to return to competitive racing, following his high-profile Porsche test.

Vettel completed 581km in Porsche Penske Motorsport’s 963 Hypercar during a test at Aragon on Tuesday, marking his first motorsport outing since he called time on his illustrious F1 career at the end of 2022.

The German is reported to have held preliminary talks with Porsche customer team Jota last year about driving one of their 963 cars in the World Endurance Championship.

But the 36-year-old is keeping his cards close to his chest about whether he is interested in a competitive follow-up and possible shot at the world-famous Le Mans 24 Hours.

"I was curious how these cars behave, and that was the reason for the test. It was a very nice experience, I enjoyed it a lot, I had a lot of fun," Vettel explained. 

"Now I need to think and decide, and make my mind up what I maybe want to do in terms of racing in the future. But I don't know yet."

But the possibility of racing together at some point in the future has not been ruled out by Vettel or Porsche.

“Of course, I also keep an eye on other motorsport disciplines,” Vettel said.

“I know many drivers who are active in the WEC and Le Mans. At some point, my curiosity was so great that I had the idea of trying it out myself. Porsche gave me the opportunity to test a current hypercar with the 963.

“After the seat adjustment, the simulator session, and the roll-out in Weissach, I already had a good feeling. Driving the Porsche 963 on the track here in Aragon – that was definitely fun. I first had to get used to everything and find my rhythm.”

Speaking about his team’s test, PPM managing director Jonathan Diuguid added: “Having Sebastian Vettel here is a unique opportunity for the team. He is a four-time Formula 1 world champion. He has massive experience with hybrid systems and high performance racing cars.

“Having his fresh unique perspective on where the car is and gives feedback on our systems and performances is a unique opportunity. We are happy to have him here.

“He came out of the car with a smile which is all good."