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Vettel to Audi? Why the German should and should not make a comeback!
- Ludo van Denderen
To say that Audi's search for a second driver alongside Nico Hulkenberg is an uphill battle is an understatement. A myriad of names have been mentioned, but the future factory team - currently Sauber - still does not have the line-up complete. German-language media are now speculating about bringing Sebastian Vettel out of retirement. We list why the four-time champion should and should not do so.
Up front, there is no indication that Vettel is in negotiations with Audi to make his return to Formula 1 after two seasons' absence. When Vettel tested a Porsche hypercar earlier this year, he did not (yet) feel the need to put his racing gloves back on for good; it was not the time, Vettel said at the time.
Perhaps the urge to return has now been triggered. In an interview a few months ago, for instance, Helmut Marko said that the former champion had asked several times to race alongside Max Verstappen at Red Bull Racing. Marko did not accede to that request; he and the Austrian team saw more potential in Sergio Perez. No Red Bull but maybe Audi?
Why Vettel should consider a return to Audi
How nice it would be: two Germans, one of whom is a four-time world champion, at a new German team. Vettel and Hulkenberg would be the ideal posterboard for Audi, and a sponsor magnet at the same time. In the two seasons without F1, Vettel will undoubtedly not have lost the ability to race, so the chances are plausible that he will be able to propel the team somewhat forward on the grid in the short term. The nice salary Audi would offer Vettel also makes a comeback attractive.
Moreover - and this is surely a motivation for someone like Vettel - he would once again follow in the footsteps of his idol Michael Schumacher. In the past, the seven-time champion returned from retirement to drive for Mercedes' then-new German team, also with a compatriot alongside him (Nico Rosberg). It was partly Schumacher's efforts that eventually allowed Mercedes to grow into the successful team it eventually became.
Why Vettel should not consider a return to Audi
To stay initially with Schumacher: Schumacher himself was ultimately unable to benefit from the hard work in Mercedes' start-up phase. In three seasons, Schumacher stood on the F1 podium just once, after years of being the star of the sport. Only after his departure did Lewis Hamilton in particular reap the benefits of what Schumacher had set in motion.
Sebastian Vettel, upon joining Audi, must reckon that a similar fate awaits him. The next few years will be tough, very tough for the German team. Forget the podium finishes - let alone the victories; it will be seasons of point-scoring. Is that what Vettel is in the mood for now? To leave his family at home again, to compete for spot 13 or 14 at circuits all over the world himself? Not a nice prospect; there is really very little for him to win with Audi. So is Vettel wise to step back into the hectic world of F1, knowing that he is never going to be as successful as before? To ask the question is to actually answer it.
This article has been written in collaboration with Matt Gretton